The Price of Freedom
by Altheryon
Summary: In the worst possible scenario at the end of Dirge of Cerberus, Vincent Valentine receives the unexpected chance to return to the past to change the events that occurred and save the planet from its total destruction, while at the same time discovering truths about himself that wrongly have been concealed from him. (Vincent x Lucrecia - later Sephiroth x Aerith) (Timetravel/AU)
1. Act I - Prologue

Greetings to you all! This is the first time I venture headlong into the world of fanfics of Final Fantasy VII as a writer, and as this was one of the games that marked me a lot in the past, now I come here to leave a tribute in its honor.

 **IMPORTANT POINTS BEFORE READING THIS STORY: 1)** _-_ I'm really going to screw some parts of the game's original plot, so if you are a diehard canon fan that doesn't accept changes, maybe you will not like to read this. **2)** _–_ If you are a Hojo fan this story is not for you, and Sephiroth will be portrayed as Vincent's son. **3)** _–_ To comprehend this story you will need some knowledge of the following titles _:_ Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, The Last Order, Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus. **4)** I'm not a native English speaker so forgive any misspelling it may be in here. **5)** This will be a very long project, and since I'm currently into college and work, I cannot promise quickly updates, but I will not stop until I finish it. **6)** \- And for last as usual, Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters doesn't belong to me, this is for my own and others fans entertainment.

Now for those who have stayed, welcome and make yourselves comfortable to accompany me on this long journey. I hope you like it!

Sincerely,

Lyon Heitor ~ Altheryon

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 _"Soul wrought of terra corrupt, quelling impurity, purging the_ _stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate._

 _Behold mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens."_

Dr. Lucrecia Crescent - FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus

†

 **Prologue**

The world was made of darkness and silence, stretching around him in the direction of infinity in a vastness where nothing seemed to exist beyond that imperturbable serenity. Time itself seemed to have stopped hurrying, as in an hourglass where the constant falling from the sand suddenly is interrupted for no apparent reason, and merging with the black immensity, the seconds, minutes and hours were transformed by the Lifestream and joined the universe with the promise of eternity.

Or was it only the prelude to death that after so many years had finally reached him?

Vincent Valentine didn't know.

 _"He narrowly escaped..."_

Lying at the mercy of that surreal scenery, he felt his body float as if supported by the energies that ruled everything. He couldn't open his eyes or even move his body, but for the first time in a long, long time he felt at peace with a great sense of comfort filling his tortured spirit. It was as if he were naked with his soul fully exposed without the weigh of the scars that had marked his body or even the gauntlet that long ago had replaced his mutilated arm.

 _"The planet cannot bear it anymore... We do not have time..."_

In that deep stillness, frowning, the man tried to remember the last events of his life and the facts that brought him to that strange and intriguing place, and at first his mind was not able to conjure anything to give him the answers he was looking for, but then slowly fragments of memories began to come back to him.

 _"Do you think he can do it...? He doesn't even know the truth about himself..."_

 _"I believe in him..."_

He remembered the war against Deepground... The shadows of Shinra's dark secret... Weiss... Hojo... The Omega's awakening and the destruction of Midgar... He remembered his friends fighting against enemies to soon after, one by one they began to fall... He remembered the power of Chaos awakening violently within himself and his body transforming at the same time it seemed to be being torn apart, then by the next instant, all become the deepest darkness.

 _"We have only one chance to send them... The last forces that still remains pure..."_

 _"We cannot waste it with wrong choices..."_

 _"He is the center of everything, always has been... How do you want the world and people to change if he doesn't have the opportunity to know and live the destiny that he was born to fulfill...?"_

The silence that filled the mysterious darkness curiously began to manifest the voices of men and women who mingled with each other, speaking an unknown language that reached his ears in the form of an incomprehensible whisper.

 _"He needs to know..."_

 _"Talk to him then... If he agrees... Don't take long... We do not have much time left..."_

What was happening? He tried to move again, but his body did not obey him, and the man felt his spirit restless and worried. It was at this moment that strangely disjointed whispers stopped completely and he clearly felt a presence at his side. Two hands touched his face gently, caressing him tenderly.

 _"Vincent..."_

He stood completely still, his heart filled with surprise as he heard that soft, melodious voice calling his name, so familiar and unmistakable, for it had always been marked in his memories. And as if realizing that inwardly he had recognized her, the woman's voice spoke to him again and her words seemed to be endowed with a sad smile.

 _"Vincent... My dear Vincent... Even after all this time... Even after everything I've done... Here, at the end of everything… I'm happy... I'm glad to see you again..."_

The woman's name came to his mind, echoing clearly and sharply, and the man wished he could open his eyes to look at her face.

 _"The world has undergone so many changes… Things tend to disappear over time, as it does for many of the things that exist in the universe... And yet you never let everything that happened between us disappear completely… You always remembered me, even after my many mistakes, even after I had hurt you so much... Forgive me... I don't know why I did what I did..."_

The man felt moved; he wanted to be able to tell her that he no longer cared about the past, that he never blamed her for the things that happened, that he understood her, that the only thing he wanted was for her to be happy, but his lips against his will didn't move, remaining sealed, and he silently inquired of the strange place where they both were.

She gently called him back.

 _"Vincent... This planet is dying... Everything we have done, our memories... Everything our friends have built together... Omega is withdrawing the Lifestream that flows into the heart of our world to lead it through the ethereal abyss of the universe, to allow a new beginning in a very, very far place beyond the infinite sea of stars... Soon everything we know will cease to exist... You were born to fulfill a great destiny... A destiny which was concealed from you since your childhood... Your naiveté and innocence contributed unintentionally to the condemnation of this world, but this was never your fault... You lived in ignorance of the oblivion that was imposed on you by third parts... It is not your fault..."_

He felt one of her hands leave his face and land on his chest, over his heart.

 _"Your body was never properly prepared for this... You never fully awakened, and the power of Chaos is now destroying you... You too are dying..."_

There was sadness in her words that seemed to envelop him in a comforting embrace, as if it wanted to try to soften the impact of that information, and although Vincent was at first surprised, it was not difficult for him to accept. She caressed his face again, and as if she were shaking her head, disagreeing with his easy resignation, the woman went on.

 _"The Cetras who once denied you wish to offer you a second chance... A chance to know your true past, to learn about your origins and to live this destiny that was wrongly denied from you... A chance to take with you the memories from this reality so you may also change our world... A chance to save this planet and all of us... They wonder if you would accept relive those years... If you would agree to go through all the arduous trials again... If you could live with this knowledge... If you could also forgive them..."_

Internally he frowned without being able to fully comprehend her words, although in his heart he already knew that if he had a unique opportunity to truly change everything that had happened in the past he would not hesitate to do so, and as if aware of this decision, she whispered softly.

 _"Oh Vincent... If I had the same mind of today at that time... I finally realized my true feelings... After so long... And even being selfish on my part, I would like to believe that it's not too late for us yet... Vincent... Do not forget... You will not be alone... And when we meet again... Please... I beg you... Me and Sephiroth... Don't give up on us..."_

Suddenly her soft touch disappeared and he immediately missed it; a strange sensation struck him and he began to slowly feel his senses return, as did the movement of his hands, arms, legs, and completely regaining control of himself, he opened his eyes and jumped, sitting on the bed and stretching out his arms in front of him.

"Lucrecia!" He called out in a weak and choked whisper, but couldn't find her.

He was completely alone.

Coughing hard, wondering if it was a dream or some kind of reverie, Vincent looked at his hands and dazed suddenly realized that both were made of flesh and bone and there was no sign of the golden gauntlet, revealing only white skin free of the scars that had so long marked his body.

 _Impossible..._

Watching them better he also noticed that there was something very wrong; they seemed disproportionate, small, and looking around he noticed that he was in a simple white-walled room without any furniture beyond the modest bed where he was sitting, a wardrobe and a small mirror hanging not so far away.

Trembling and confused, Vincent stood up abruptly and staggered awkwardly a few steps, as if completely unfit, and walking slowly he forced himself to move on until he stood in front of the desired object.

"What the..." He murmured in surprise.

In the mirror he saw a boy who appeared to be no more than five years old, with fair skin, short silver hair and deep brown eyes, which reflected on his small shocked face the same horror and astonishment he felt.


	2. Act I - Awakening

**The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Awakening**

Vincent blinked several times, staring at that image in the mirror, _his own_ image in the mirror, not being able to fully comprehend what he was seeing.

What was happening? It was impossible... Impossible that skinny, scared boy in dark pajamas that didn't even resemble his features was really him. It could only be some kind of illusion or strange dream that he hadn't yet awakened.

Pulling himself away from the mirror the boy shook his head, and more self-conscious, he paced around the room and even pinched his arm hard in an attempt to force himself to wake up, but the pain immediately surfaced in the reddened skin and he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over his face when, horrified, the truth that all that was real was slowly being assimilated by his heart.

"No... No... Where is the war...? Where are the others?... Omega... Weiss... Hojo ... Lucrecia..." The silver-haired boy raised his face, remembering the woman's name, and had a vague remembrance of the words she had spoken to him in that strange world in which he had been after Omega's full awakening at Midgar.

The offer she had made him... The possibility of a second chance to change everything...

"It cannot be true..." He whispered again, and the childish, weak voice that intoned his own words caused him great strangeness. Vincent lifted his face, his eyes scanning the small room with unfamiliarity. "Where am I...?"

The boy walked around the scenario observing the few things that were on the room, not recognizing the place and nothing that existed there. Confused and disoriented, Vincent went to the simple wooden door and opened it without much effort, leaving the enclosure to enter a long corridor lit by torches of fire, formed by pearly stone walls, some pots with decorative plants and landscape paintings hung with relative distance between one another. Frowning, listening to voices echoing from the end of the hall, he strode cautiously in that direction, groping his hands against the walls feeling the solid surface beneath his fingers as something real and existing.

Suddenly he heard hurried footsteps of someone running in the hallway behind him, and before he could react Vincent felt himself being jerked to the side and he slammed hard against the wall, banging his head.

Kneeling on the floor and holding his hands to his head, he raised his face and saw another boy of the same size, also looking about five years of age, wearing a beautifully colored outfit of quality material with short silver hair and light-skinned features, but his eyes were a shade of sky-blue, and at that moment they were filled with irritation and great displeasure.

"Get out of the way, weirdo! Didn't you see you were on my path?! I told you to stop blocking others' passage like a dead weight!"

The other boy turned his back on him and ran until he reached the end of the corridor and disappeared into the curving entrance to a new room.

Stunned with his head throbbing, Vincent remained kneeling where he was for a brief moment before slowly rising, and staggering he strode down the aisle following the stranger into a new setting; a well-built room with stone and wood furniture of rich detail and a large dining table in the center with six chairs arranged around it, bookcases with books and fine decorative objects, amply illuminated by two windows through which the morning sunshine penetrated with sovereignty.

There he found the other boy and two other people, a man and a woman of aristocratic appearance and well dressed; she in a white silk dress, youthful countenance, long black hair and brown eyes, and he in a noble garments of red and gold tones, short silver hair and penetrating blue eyes.

The woman clung to the other boy.

"Ellyan, my son! Today is a wonderful day for all of us, how proud I am of you!"

"He's the best student in his class." The man added. "And only the best will be selected by the masters of the village; I don't doubt that it will be Guildark, the wisest and most influential of them, who will choose our son to be his disciple, after all, Ellyan is the chosen one."

"I will not disappoint you, father!" The silver-haired boy smiled arrogantly.

"Who are you?" Vincent asked and only then did the couple realize the other boy's presence in the room.

Frowning in displeasure, the man spoke again.

"And these are hours of waking up, Arman?! We need to leave _now_ and you're still in your pajamas?!" He crossed the distance with heavy footsteps and held the other boy tightly by the ear, dragging him back into the hall.

Vincent screamed, feeling his head explode in pain and tried to hold the stranger's arm to force the man to release him, but his strength was non-existent compared to the other man who, upon arriving in the humble room where the boy had awakened, abruptly shoved the child against the floor.

"Dress properly at once; you have one minute! We will not be late for the selection ceremony because of your laziness! I will not tolerate you spoiling Ellyan in his great moment!"

"I do not know any Arman or Ellyan, I do not know what you're talking about!" Vincent said, getting up off the floor with his hands on his ear, demanding. "Who are you and where am I?!"

"Stop talking your nonsenses!" The man spoke harshly, slapping him hard on the face and the boy fell once more against the floor. Opening the wardrobe the adult took two pieces of clothing and tossed them on the boy. "You have one minute!"

The stranger left the room and the boy was left alone. Trembling and feeling his face burn with heat, Vincent, bewildered, hurriedly dressed the clothes that were thrown at him and left the room to return to the hall while wondering where he was and why nothing he found there was familiar to him, not even in his memories. It seemed he had have been thrown into a world completely foreign and unknown.

"At last we can go." The woman spoke sourly when she saw him enter the room again. "If it wasn't mandatory that all the children of the village attend the ceremony, we could have gone early and left him here; he would not be missed since he's going to be eliminated anyway."

Vincent made no reaction to the offense, merely observing the woman coldly. The small group left the house while the boy's eyes peered at that family in which he was notoriously not welcome, analyzing them silently. He followed them through the streets of the village, keeping some distance; they seemed noble by the way they elegantly dressed and walked as if the passage belonged to them, and also seemed to be influential and well-known, for everyone they encountered practically threw themselves on their feet trying to get their attention, although only some received some kind of response or recognition on the part of the couple and their son, apparently accustomed to power and prestige.

The second boy was not even noticed by the people; the family didn't even glance behind or paid any attention to him during all the way, and Vincent took advantage of that moment of peace to observe the rich scenery around.

The place was completely unknown to him.

The village was formed by a beautiful city of buildings and houses made of stone hidden in the middle of a valley surrounded by mountains that completely isolated the whole region. It was a beautiful place whose architecture charmed the eyes, there seemed to be a sublime energy hovering in the air, enveloping everything and everyone, and people seemed to have something special and different about them, although he could not immediately name it just by sight; it was a hidden sensation, an almost imperceptible notion, and curiosity filled his face as he moved through the streets.

They arrived in what seemed to be the center of the village, a long square that appeared to be capable of sheltering all the people of the city in that morning, which in a large circle around the space left free in the center, they crowded together in many voices speaking with one another thousands of conversations.

When they arrived he heard several exclamations of admiration and some people pointed to Ellyan, who, upon seeing the reaction of the public, had his young countenance filled with more of arrogance. The crowd parted to make passage for him and the boy went ahead alone, and when Vincent didn't move to follow him he suddenly felt himself being pushed by strangers to accompany the other boy until they were mingled together to a group of children in the center of the square, with eyes mixed in adrenaline and dread, waiting together for something he did not know would happen.

Suddenly the whole crowd fell silent when, a little farther, above a sort of stone stage, an old man wearing a white robe with gold drawings rose from his seat and raised his hand, immediately calling out for attention.

"My people..." He spoke to them. "As you know, according to our traditions, every ten years the ceremony of passage for all the five-year-old children of our village is performed, a rite where some will be chosen to serve our city as guardians to keep peace and harmony between us and the world, which fortunately still doesn't know of our existence."

The old man observed at the children and went on.

"These children have undergone many tests so far and have been evaluated in their performance by the masters and sages of our village, but only a few will be selected to be trained and later take positions in our elite. Although this selection has already occurred many times in the past, this small group is a special generation, for among them is the key to the salvation of this world! Contemplate the future of our people!"

There were several cheers and exclamations from the crowd until the man raised his hands again and everyone fell silent once more.

"Guildark, my counselor and one of the wisest masters of our people, will now take the floor and will also begin the ceremony by choosing an apprentice for himself."

Several conversations rose among the people after that announcement, and returning to his seat the old man gave way to another man who appeared on the stage; he was tall with strong physiognomy and had a robust body, appeared to be about forty years of age, wore a beautiful black robe that had some silver carvings engraved on the dark cloth, his skin was lightly tanned by the sun, long golden hair and caramel eyes that revealed a sober countenance endowed with a notorious sense of insight and wisdom.

"It's Guildark!" Some of the children whispered in surprise at the sight of him. "He's never chosen an apprentice before!"

"Who among us will he choose?" A girl asked curiously.

"Ellyan of course!" A boy spoke. "He's the chosen one!"

"Of course it will be me!" Ellyan nodded, puffing his chest with pride and several children nodded in agreement. Vincent stared at him with no great surprise or giving it any importance, still only finding himself internally intrigued by his actual situation, thinking about why he was there at that moment and what was truly happening.

Guildark completely ignored the crowd watching him; his gaze was fixed on each of the children in the center of the large circle of people, observing them with a gentle look.

"All of you have performed very difficult tests to be here today... Some have made it forced by their families, others for growing up listening to stories of the great heroes of our people desiring to be like them. Many did it because they learned to become an apprentice in order to dedicate an entire life to the millenarian arts is synonymous of great honor and pride for themselves and their families, while only a few..."

The man's caramel eyes fixed on Vincent at that moment, and the boy felt as if the other's look could reach his soul.

"... were truly destined for this, even though they may not know it."

The silver-haired boy frowned, intrigued by those words, intrigued by that look, but at that moment Guildark turned his face away to look at all the children in general.

"Even if you are not chosen I want you to know that there is no shame or dishonor in this, for the true merit is not only in a title, but in the actions we undertake every day and in the character we have built for ourselves in our lives."

There were several comments in the crowd at the words of the man, who completely ignored the commotion that had set in. He left the stage to enter the square and walked towards the children; most looked at him nervously.

"I will begin the ceremony of passage announcing the name of the one I will take to be my apprentice… I can say that for a long time I was focused on my ignorance, seeing only the things I wanted to see, and I was purposely blind to the signs that were sent to me several times, trying to show me the truth... But I finally understood and accepted that as unlikely as circumstances were, sometimes the truth may reveal itself in a very different way from the one we were expecting..."

Guildark reached the children and Ellyan, standing in front of the others, smiled broadly, but his face broke in shock as the man passed him without even glancing at his direction, continuing to walk among the children.

"Because in the same way he was always destined to be my apprentice ... I, too, was always destined to be his master." Guildark stopped in front of Vincent and smiled slightly. "Arman."

Vincent frowned, staring at the man without understanding.

Many exclamations of surprise and astonishment rose high in the crowd of people, shocked at the scene and at the complete unexpected choice coming from the wise master. The children watched them with wide eyes; Ellyan glared at the other silver-haired boy with disbelief and hatred in his face.

"You?!" The boy screamed. "How could he choose you?!"

"This must be some kind of mistake, Master Guildark!" A man exclaimed aloud and out of the crowd Ellyan's parents appeared, approaching the circle of children.

"It sure is a mistake! A mistake!" The woman exclaimed dramatically. "My son, Ellyan, must be your apprentice! He is the chosen one!"

"There are no mistakes or errors, only the right destiny that must be fulfilled." Guildark answered them coldly, watching the couple with an austere countenance. "Arman will be my apprentice and since you did little for him to have a decent childhood, because I know of your mistreat to favor your other son, I also make clear now before all that Arman will be my responsibility and will live with me in the temple to be properly trained."

His voice echoed steadily and sternly across the square that had been completely silent at the man's words, and still addressed Ellyan's parents, he proceeded.

"I will not accept any objections; you have lost any rights to this child when you refused to fulfill your role as parents, immersed in your foolish arrogance."

The couple, filled with shame and publicly humiliated, not wishing to antagonize anymore the most influential master of their people, merely bowed their heads and passively obeyed his decision.

Guildark turned his attention to the silver-haired boy and his gaze softened, asking him softly.

"Do you have anything in that house you want to take with you?"

Vincent watched indifferently that strange, unfamiliar family he had lived with for a few moments, enough to make sure that whatever had been the reason he had awakened there, he did not want to stay with them for any other second more and decided to accept the uncommon opportunity the present situation presented him. Looking back at the blond-haired man, he shook his head.

"I have nothing there that belongs to me."

Guildark smiled with amusement.

"I thought you'd say that. Come with me, Arman." The man offered him his hand and the boy accepted; together they moved away from the center of the square to a more select and distant place.

The next master who announced himself at once chose Ellyan as his apprentice, and Guildark watched the ceremony not slightly impressed, for he already imagined it would happen. Other masters came and chose their apprentices from among the children, and those who were not selected returned to their families in the midst of the crowd.

After the last part of ceremony that took place the following moment finally ended, the public began to disperse and it was when Guildark moved away from center of the square accompanied by his newest apprentice. They left the stone city to penetrate through the forest that surrounded the village, climbing a small path formed in the middle of the trees, walking for a long time until the scenery changed and revealed a wide field where further on was located a beautiful wooden temple, built in that nook of peace and nature with a beautiful aerial view of the city where they had been early.

The master led him to the entrance of the imposing building and into the main hall, and for the first time since they had left the village he spoke.

"This will be your new home from now on. You will not find the same luxuries as in the other house, but I assure you that here you will not be mistreated as you have been and nothing you need will lack."

At that moment a third person entered the place coming from one of the corridors. She was a young girl who appeared to be between seven and eight years old, with a beautiful and delicate face, fair complexion, long brown hair slightly wavy, and emerald-green eyes; her body graced by a beautiful rose-colored dress.

When Vincent saw her he stared the newcomer with surprise; for the first time he had woken up in that strange world he had felt some kind of familiarity with the girl. She reminded him of someone he had met a long time ago, though the name was fleeting him.

"You're finally here." She spoke, watching them with a warm look and a radiant smile, and the silver-haired boy, with astonishment, finally realized who that girl reminded him of.

"I told you we would not be long, my dear." Guildark smiled gently and he put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Arman, this is Ifalna, my daughter."


	3. Act I - Prepared

**The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Prepared**

 _Aerith's mother..._

Vincent watched the girl with great surprise; now that he had recognized her, the resemblance between Ifalna and the beautiful girl he had known during the journey to save the world from the meteor's fall was simply undeniable.

"Nice to meet you." She spoke with a smile, watching the silver-haired boy, and without noticing his uneasiness, Guildark frowned and inquired his daughter with mild curiosity.

"Where is your brother?"

"Cobe is asleep." Ifalna replied. "But I can wake him up if you wish."

"It is not necessary." The master shook his head. "You may introduce him later when he wakes. Take Arman with you and show him the temple and the room I've prepared for him."

And looking directly at the boy, the man told him.

"Take your time to get acquainted with the place and rest, for tomorrow your training will start early."

The golden-haired man stepped away and disappeared into a nearby hallway, leaving the two children alone.

Vincent observed Ifalna in complete silence; he remembered everything he knew about Aerith and her origins, and seeing in his mind again the village and those strange people who seemed to have a different air around them, something ethereal, the boy blanched lightly at the realization that he had awakened in the midst of a city formed by the ancient people of Cetra, long regarded as extinct from that corrupted planet, being Aerith the solely remnant of that sacred civilization at his time.

Interpreting the stillness of the other as shyness, the girl aproached and took one of his hands.

"You don't have to be shy." She laughed lightly. "Come on, I'll show you everything!"

She pulled him gently and they began to walk together in one of the halls, the eldest girl never let go of his hand while explaining about all the rooms that formed that curious and beautiful place. The temple was tall and build up of two floors; smaller rooms intended for prayer with statues and decorative mystic items scattered and a larger training room with ample space and various types of weapons resting on a support shelf on the ground floor, while the upper floor had the bedrooms, a small library and a dining room; it didn't have many furniture but it was just that simplicity that seemed to give the place a different charm and a welcome air.

As he thought about the Cetra people and why he was there at that moment, utterly lost in notion of time or space, while the brown-haired, green-eyed girl continued to talk with him in a solicitous, gentle and patient tone. When they reached the second floor she showed him the room he had been assigned to, a modest place with a bed, a wardrobe, a bookshelf and a window that showed the view to the valley.

"My room is next to yours." Ifalna told him, indicating the next room and then pointed to a closed door at the end of the hall. "That's my father's room and the one in front of his is the library. Do you like to read? There has several very interesting books and you may pick any of them any time you want."

"Thank you..." Vincent nodded slowly and noticing another closed door to where they were, he inquired. "And that one?"

"It's my brother's room." The girl answered without hesitation. Walking to the door she opened it softly and after spying for a brief moment she entered inside; smiling Ifalna gestured for the silver-haired boy to approach.

The place was similar to his own room, and in the middle of the bed was a sleeping boy who was slowly awakening from his sleep. It was a small child, Vincent deduced that he must have two or three years old; the shape of his little face and the short blond hair resembled Guildark's, although his sleepy eyes revealed a beautiful emerald green tone like those of his sister.

"Ifye..." The boy muttered and the older girl sat on the edge of the bed and caressed his face with a gentle smile.

"Cobe, did I wake you?" The boy shook his head, yawning and hugging his sister who took him in on her lap.

"Who is he?" Cobe asked, watching the unknown boy with sleepily eyes.

"He is Arman, a new friend who will live with us now here in the temple." Ifalna explained. "Why not be a good boy and say 'hi' to him?"

"Hi..." Cobe greeted softly in a low voice and then hid his face on her sister's shoulder, and Ifalna laughed.

"He's just kind of shy, but when he's wide awake and after he gets accustomed to your presence, you'll see that he will not let go of you."

Vincent smiled at it, amused, and coming to the side of the bed he touched the other boy's head, gently caressing the short golden strands of his hair.

"It's nice to meet you too, Cobe."

The boy spied the stranger again and after a brief moment he offered him a shy smile in response.

...

A few hours after dinner, following the temple's routine, Vincent gathered himself in his room and for a long time pondered the events of that day, of his past life and the vision he had of Lucrecia before awakening completely in the midst of that people so different from what he had known until then. He wondered why. He thought about Ifalna and about Aerith, which also led him to remember that both were Cetras and that the sacred race had been totally extinguished in a way as mysterious as their history was. Vincent wondered if he, being in that city now, that made him a Cetra too? What was happening? If had he really been given an opportunity to return to the past, why hadn't he awakened in Midgar at his father's, Grimoire Valentine, former home?

With those turbulent reflections and a restless heart that Vincent succumbed to sleep that night.

...

Training the next day began very early, before the sunrise. Guildark woke him in the middle of the night and after a brief breakfast the master led him out of the temple to the middle of the forest.

"For any lesson to be truly learned it must begin with the construction of a solid foundation that will sustain the whole structure afterwards." The golden-haired man told him firmly. "Before I begin to convey to you the secret knowledge of our people, you need to strengthen your body so that you may be able to absorb and control the energies that flows and rule the universe."

Guildark started it through the practice of physical exercises and Vincent, not entirely accustomed to his new body, had some difficulty with the starting pace of training that gradually increased in speed, and at the end of the first day the silver-haired boy as soon as the dinner was over retreated back to his room and gave himself to his rest.

The first few weeks passed similarly, focusing entirely on physical training while Guildark, at the boy's request, also taught him about the Cetra people and told him several interesting stories of that remote civilization whilst Vincent performed the sequence of exercises the master assigned him. Entertained with the knowledge that was passed on, he didn't realize when exactly he had completely adapted to his new body or exactly when he began to get used to the training, but with each passing day he began to perceive himself physically stronger despite his current age and also started to feel well within himself as he had not felt for many years, a calm and a deep peace that that temple surrounded by mountains and trees managed to transmit to his being, isolated from everything and everyone as a place of rest in which he had been sent to recover and regenerate the old and bitter wounds that now seemed so distant.

Though he knew the way to the village, Vincent seldom ventured into the city, spending most of his time in the temple training or studying the books in the library, seeking to learn more while secretly trying to find any clue that could explain his awakening among those people.

Though at first he had been cautious and extremely reserved, with time Vincent became accustomed to the strange name he had received, with the gentle and quiet presence of Ifalna that sometimes accompanied him in his training sessions and also provided company to him in the late afternoons after the exercises were done for the day, and he became fond of the small golden-haired child, who, as the girl had told him earlier, whenever he could the two-year-old boy would clung to him.

But one of the things that most intrigued him at that moment was master Guildark, who had in fact proven himself to be extremely wise, just and had a complete admirable character; he was a very respected man worthy of the second position of command he held in the village, his training was severe and he always demanded the maximum of his apprentice, but his lessons were patient and endowed with great enlightenment and ministered as a dedicated teacher does, making sure that his pupil had understood what had been passed on to him and the silver-haired boy came with time to appreciate his presence and all that the man was doing for him, though Vincent had perceived in Guildark's keen and attentive eyes that there was more knowledge hidden there than the master was revealing at the time, and inside he had the strange feeling that the golden-haired man, in that quiet, peaceful place, was secretly preparing him for something.

And as the weeks went by, Vincent could've truly believed that all the events that occurred in his other life were but a turbulent nightmare from which he had finally wake up recently, but the presence of Ifalna and her undeniable resemblance to Aerith gave him a grave certainty that that nook of peace was only the calm before a terrible storm.

...

"Aman, Aman!" The two-year-old burst out laughing, jumping into his sister's lap as he waved his arms, finding the training funny to watch even though he hardly understood what was being done.

"Cobe!" Ifalna chided gently, trying to quiet down her brother. "Don't do this, you cannot distract Arman from his training or father will be angry."

The child laughed again and embracing him, the girl raised her face and observed her father and friend with a worried countenance.

The silver-haired boy at that moment held a large piece of stone over his head that should weigh five times plus his own weight and Vincent concentrated to continue holding the object still so that a chalice full of water deposited above its surface did not spill. It had been about an hour since he was in that same position, without moving, and sweat ran down his face and all over his body while his arms seemed to burn with fire. Guildark, standing a few feet away, watched his apprentice with a stern, attentive countenance, his penetrating gaze calculating every detail of the exercise.

The minutes passed slowly, dragging mercilessly, and only when the last line of the setting sun reached the distant borders of the mountains, marking exactly an hour and half after the training's beginning, when the boy felt that he wouldn't hold out any longer and would soon be crushed by the rock, the master suddenly broke de silence.

"Now at this very moment your body is at its limit of exhaustion and because you have remained for so long without moving your legs will not obey you immediately, for they are numb, that is, you will not be able to escape the stone fast enough even if you let it slip to your side, you would be crushed. The only way to get out of where you are is by throwing it up and breaking it with the strength of your fist."

"This is impossible..." Vincent muttered incredulously with difficulty, not being able to look away from the stone to stare at his master.

"Arman..." Guildark spoke slowly, walking around the boy as he watched him. "Some barriers to be broken it is necessary for us to reach our limit, because only then may we discover and reveal the most hidden forces within ourselves."

The master stopped in front of him.

"You have a great sleeping power within your body and its importance for many of the things that will come in your future will be indispensable... You need to begin to force this awakening, but if you don't stand on the edge of your limit it will not happen. Search for this strength, this power and force it out. You will be able to find it and you will be able to break the stone into pieces."

Vincent closed his eyes, the air in his lungs coming choked and gasping, burning his chest. He searched desperately within himself for such an unknown force that the golden-haired man insisted that he possessed, and as the seconds went by, as if in a countdown, he sensed his body begin to succumb to the absurd pressure against his arms; suddenly the silver-haired boy began to feel inside a strange but at the same time extremely familiar energy beginning to emerge within him, and he was enveloped by an overwhelming force that made the fatigue of his body disappear completely and the weight of the stone become insignificant in his hands.

A strong red aura showed around the boy's body and then accumulated on his fist, and when Vincent opened his eyes, for a moment they turned into a fiery angry yellow; the boy pushed the stone up and with a punch he broke the rock into a thousand pieces.

Falling, the boy laid on the ground breathing heavily; the force and the mystical energy left him completely and he stayed motionless staring into the golden evening sky with a disbelieving and confused countenance. Ifalna had risen and watched the scene with wide astonished eyes while Guildark looked at his apprentice with a satisfied glance.

"Well done, Arman." He congratulated him. "Training is over."

...

Walking through the corridors of the temple after nightfall, Ifalna entered the prayer room and stood near the door, silently gazing at her father who sat with his back to her in the center of the place with closed eyes focused on deep meditation; the setting was partially illuminated only by the light of the moon that entered timidly through the windows.

"I know you're worried about Arman, my dear." His quiet voice came after a brief moment. "Come, sit with me."

The girl approached the master and accepting the invitation she sat next to him, watching her own hands nervously. Guildark opened his eyes and observed his daughter soberly.

"Don't you think his training is being too severe?" Ifalna questioned him in an uncertain whisper. "You never accepted an apprentice before... But I remember once that you took me to see the trainings that other masters of the village applied to their disciples... None of them were as rigorous as yours now."

"Arman is different from the others." The golden-haired man told her, frowning thoughtfully. "You saw it earlier today... He needs to be properly prepared now while it's still early, while we still have time..."

Ifalna remembered the red aura that had surrounded her friend's body and the enormous power that he had shown for a brief moment, his yellow and unnatural eyes... The brown-haired girl lifted her face; her green eyes stared at her father with apprehension.

"What are you preparing him for...?"

Guildark was silent for a moment, watching his daughter with a stern countenance; intimately seemed to be weighing a very important issue, and when he finally made his decision, completely facing the girl, he held her hands in his.

"Ifalna..." The master spoke gravely. "I will tell you a story very different from others I have told you… I believe you should know too, for you will be of great help in the future... When I am finished, you will promise me that you will keep this secrecy."

The girl nodded in agreement and Guildark told her; they both talked until long hours passed and the sun began to rise again on the horizon.

...

Vincent was stunned by the training's result.

The extremely familiar energy that had sprouted within him and expanded in an enormous way, completely dominating his body for so few seconds, belonged without any shadow of doubt to Chaos. But how could that be possible? He always believed that Chaos was a distinct entity that was inserted inside him by Lucrecia as a result of the experiments she performed on him in order to save his life. After so many years struggling to control that violent and beastly power, there was no way he couldn't recognize its so unique presence.

But if he had truly been given the opportunity to return to the past, even if at that moment he had awakened within the Cetras and away from any trace of life he had known before unaware of the reasons for it, how Chaos could be present in his child's body in that time? Could it also have been sent to the past with him? But if this had indeed happened, should not Hojo's demons have also returned with him? Galian Beast, Death Gigas and Hellmasker, however, were completely absent which only served to further increase his confusion and intrigue to the current situation.

The next few days passed slowly; the silver-haired boy continued his routine exercises without Guildark mentioning what had happened. Vincent, however, realized that after that day Ifalna had become more introspective near him and when she thought he hadn't notice, Vincent perceived that she often watched him from distance with a worried look.

"Is everything okay, Ifalna?" He inquired directly to her one afternoon, and the green-eyed girl blushed in embarrassment.

"It is! Sorry... Arman." Ifalna replied, smiling and tugging a lock of hair that had slipped over her eyes, but despite her words Vincent intimately noticed the girl's nervousness and hesitancy to speak his name, but keeping that to himself he decided not to press her further on the subject, at least not yet.

...

The second manifestation of Chaos power occurred in less than a week.

Walking through the countryside around the temple after the end of a training session, Vincent and Ifalna were talking about winter approaching when suddenly the girl stopped; her wide-eyed eyes stared up at an upper area of the old wooden building.

"Cobe!" Ifalna exclaimed in alarm and the silver-haired boy looked the same direction, his face filled with surprise.

On the temple's second floor the two-year-old had managed to climb the safety balusters with the aid of a small bench and was sitting above them, watching the pair.

"Ifye! Aman!" The golden-haired boy laughed, swinging his arms and in a wrong move he lost his balance and fell.

"COBE!" The girl screamed in despair.

At an impressive speed that Ifalna's eyes could not keep up with, Vincent, enveloped by the same bright red energy, crossed the field in the blink of an eye and took the boy in his arms before he reached the ground. Kneeling as he embraced the child, breathing heavily, the silver-haired boy began to feel the supernatural force leave him completely.

"Cobe! Cobe!" Ifalna quickly approached them and took her little brother in her lap, hugging him tightly. "Don't you ever do that again to me, Cobe! You understood?!"

The boy began to cry with the hard rebuke, but safe and sound.

Vincent slowly stood up; his attention shifted from Ifalna and Cobe to the presence of his master at the entrance of the temple, watching them with a neutral countenance and caramel eyes that showed not a single trace of alarm or surprise, and it was only then that Vincent understood.

Guildark knew about Chaos.

...

That night the silver-haired boy confronted the master in the prayer room.

"You know the truth about this power." He spoke harshly, glaring at the golden-haired man's back.

Ifalna, who was also inside the room, watched her father and her friend astonished.

"What difference would it make to you, Arman, if I knew its origin or not?" Guildark questioned him without moving.

"All the difference!" He replied in a loud voice. "Why then?! Why these trainings? Why I am in this place? What does Chaos have to do with this and the Cetra people?"

"You." The master replied, turning partially to face his apprentice. "You are the key that connects all of these elements."

The boy frowned in displeasure.

"I will not talk in riddles and ruses. I'll find out what I want, even if I need to go to the village for it."

He turned and strode hard towards the exit; Guildark then told him.

"Walking through that door you will not find the answers you seek, Vincent Valentine."

The silver-haired boy stopped at the edge of the door.

Slowly Vincent turned to look at the wise master with surprise on his countenance.


	4. Act I - Uncovered

Greetings! We finally arrived in an important chapter, because this is where I will show the whole basis of my story and explain why the unusual beginning. About Chaos, all that I may say is that I'll take a different approach on this subject. Let's see what you will think of it. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Uncovered**

Vincent observed his master with astonishment.

"How do you know this name?" He inquired in a whisper.

Silence settled in the room; rising from where he was seating Guildark turned completely to look at the boy with his face unreadable. Ifalna shifted uncomfortably on her seat; watching them both, her voice suddenly manifested timidly in the room.

"I... I'll leave you so you may talk..."

The girl stood and with hurried steps she left the place, and when master and apprentice found themselves completely alone, the blond-haired man spoke softly.

"I know everything about you... You were not the only one who has come back to the past to correct serious mistakes that were once committed."

Slowly Vincent walked away from the door, stepping inside the prayer hall once more. With dark brown eyes staring at the other with suspicion, clearly cautious, he inquired.

"Who are you really?"

"I am Guildark, councilor to the village's chief and second in command; I am also one of the greatest remaining masters of the cetra people, but all of this you already know." The man replied merely. "The real question you have to ask is 'Who am I?'"

The silver-haired boy frowned and the master went on.

"You don't know who you are Vincent, and for this reason all the events of the future have brought us to the entire planet's collapse. With the still remaining pure energies of the Lifestream we received a chance to change those events, but unfortunately of all the Cetra only I returned with these memories. "

Vincent thought about the vision he had before waking up in that city.

"Why only you?"

The golden-haired man closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again there was sadness in the caramel-colored irises.

"Because your history and mine are intertwined by destiny, and because of my choices in your other life you did not have the proper awakening..."

Guildark raised his arms, and showing everything around them he said.

"This is your true past, Vincent."

The silver-haired boy began to shake his head, unable to understand and accept what the other was telling him.

"This is impossible, it doesn't make any sense! I don't know or remember this place, these people or even you!" He spoke coldly. "Where is my father? If I'm really in the past why didn't I wake at my house in Midgar?!"

Guildark watched him without any surprise.

"If you're so self-assured, Vincent," the man replied. "Then tell me about your childhood, about your family, about Grimoire Valentine or any trace of remembrance that precedes your ten years of age."

Vincent opened his mouth to speak, but in the next moment he closed it again. He thought hard, desperately searched in his memories for anything that might support his claims, but the more he searched in his mind the more he plunged into a black ocean devoid of memories or remembrances, and uneasiness began to settle in his heart when logic and reason started to heed the master's words.

"No..." he whispered, lifting a hand to his face _._

"You will not be able to remember anything..." Guildark spoke gently. "Because you only knew Grimoire Valentine when you were ten years old, and all the memories you have with you now are after this meeting."

Vincent stared at the golden-haired man in horror, utterly lost in words, and holding out his hand to the boy, clearly seeing the man inside him, Guildark spoke.

"I am here to help you. Please… I beg you to give me an opportunity to explain everything I know… To allow yourself to listen to the words I have to say, even as surreal they may seem to you at first." The master asked him and there was a sincere plea in his voice. "I don't expect you to believe me now... I just ask you to listen to me."

The boy watched the other man for a long time in silence, measuring his words and the decision to give him a chance to explain himself, until slowly he nodded his head in agreement. Walking closer to a window, Vincent leaned against the eaves.

"Speak." He said nonchalantly. "How could this place even exist if the Cetra people were extinct and the only remnant I once knew was Aerith?"

"I'll start at the beginning of everything." Guildark nodded, standing next to his apprentice to observe the night sky covering the region. "There is a phrase that says ' _Soul wrought of terra corrupt, quelling impurity, purging the stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate. Behold mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens.'_ _…_ This is part of a small scripture of our people that talks about the creation of worlds and the universe... I'm sure you've heard it before."

Vincent frowned; the words of Lucrecia's research deeply touched his being, giving him a great sense of familiarity and nostalgia.

The master went on.

"Many millennia ago our people roamed the universe in search of the Promised Land, traveling between constellations and systems, temporarily settling on planets, populating them with life and then departing, continuing again on the long journey through the space. Although we had the ability to manipulate Lifestream's fluids and thus bring to life the surface of these planets, it was not the Cetras who took it away to carry this energy into space; when the planet's life cycle came to an end, Omega and Chaos, the Ultimate Weapons, were born to collect the Lifestream and take it to the next planet chosen by the Cetras. Gaia is the last planet our people have set in… and will probably be the end of our journey."

Guildark's gaze was lost somewhere far in his memories and seemed to reflect the weight of his knowledge; the master cetra at that moment appeared to older than his current years.

"It was here that the human race was born from Cetras who stopped to continue their connection and duty to Lifestream's fluids in favor of leisure and convenience, becoming common beings that soon spread in great proportions, though still there was balance between all the beings that formed the equilibrium of this planet, until two thousand years ago the Calamity from the skies fell on Gaia and with a kind of virus, a power that allowed it to take the shape of several of those who had once fallen between us, it almost entirely wiped out our people."

The blond-haired man watched his apprentice.

"You know it by another name… a designation given to an experiment that had significant participation in the events that happened in your past."

Vincent frowned; his eyes gleamed softly as that name rose out of his memories clearly and sharply, like a sickly, venomous whisper.

"Jenova."

Guildark nodded his head.

"The few that remained of our ancestors used their forces to create five Weapons to protect the planet and the humans, and they succeeded in stopping the Calamity by imprisoning what was left of its body in the North Crater where now these Weapons are currently kept in a deep slumber."

"The creatures we faced." The silver-haired boy also remembered the terrible attacks that took place on Junon, Mideel, and Midgar.

"Yes... When Sephiroth took the Black Materia and invoked the Meteor, the five Weapons felt the danger that the planet was suffering and awakened..." Guildark agreed, continuing his telling. "After the Calamity was defeated, the few remnants of our people came to this place and built this hidden city where we live today, falling into the complete oblivion from humans' memories."

"And where exactly are we?" Vincent inquired, staring at the valley between the mountains beyond the stone city.

"In a region near North Crater; I may say that this place in its other reality was once known as 'The Forgotten City', but today it is just a region that is believed to be devoid of any civilization."

Guildark was silent for a brief moment, his grave countenance plunged into reflections, and perceiving him as arranging his line of thought, Vincent remained silent waiting for him to continue.

"The world has changed, Vincent... Centuries have passed and even this place being so isolated from all, the greed and ignorance of mankind have come down to us, corrupting the last generations of our people and the original power and bond that linked the Cetras to the planet and to the Lifestream began to disappear with time, now there are only few, rare beings between of us who still manage to unite with the true essence of the universe. There are those who believe that we are past the time we should stay in Gaia , but the terrible wound that the Calamity from the skies has left us removed any means of proceeding with the initial cycle of creation... So, with the certainty that we were bound by this sentence to end our existence on this planet, it was when some years ago one of the last priests who still possessed this gift of bonding revealed to us a prophecy before he died."

Glancing at his apprentice, Guildark recited the full text, words that had long been marked in his soul.

 _"Gaia's time is coming to an end, decreasing like the steady flow sands of an hourglass and soon its destiny will be finally decided. The near sign shall be revealed when, under the last light of the winter solstice, the guardian will be reborn among us; in one hand he will carry the key of hope to renew this world; in the other he shall bring the destruction of all. Soul wrought of terra corrupt, quelling impurity, purging the stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate. Behold mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens."_

"What does it means?" Vincent questioned in a whisper after a moment of silence; not liking those words, feeling bothered by them in a way he couldn't explain.

"Clearly the prophecy speaks of Chaos' return... It was premeditated that the time of this planet was coming to an end, a victim of the misuse of natural resources and the immense imbalance caused by the trail of destruction left by mankind during the construction of the great cities, the terrible wars that constantly plague the plains tinging the land in blood, and the extensive undue exploitation of the Lifestream through the Mako reactors. The moment of the decision of Gaia's future is arrived. In the face of this Omega's squire would be reborn among us to observe the events brought about by the intervention of mankind and then decide between renewing the Lifestream, purifying it so that life can proceed, giving a new chance for this planet to regenerate itself from its wounds and mankind to change their vision and attitudes; or to completely withdraw the Lifestream from this planet so that Omega could lead it through the universe in an new attempt of beginning, but destroying everything that remained behind... This decision, this choice, is in Chaos's hands and this is his purpose, his true destiny."

Guildark observed his apprentice with a deep look.

"And this prophecy really began to be fulfilled... At the end of the winter solstice, on the last sunrise, only two children were born that day: Ellyan, your brother, a healthy and strong boy, and a few minutes later you, Arman, who came puny and extremely frail... They thought that for his perfect health Ellyan was the prophecy's chosen one, but they were wrong... So wrong and this caused a terrible ill for all in this world."

Vincent stared at him strangely and Guildark turned completely to face his apprentice.

"Don't you understand what I mean...?" The master inquired gently, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, kneeling to observe his face. "Chaos is not an simply essence of this world or some kind of ancestral entity that in an experiment had been imprisoned in your body in your other life."

The golden-haired man shook his head.

"Vincent... You _are_ Chaos."

The boy observed the master with wide eyes, speechless and unable to immediately assimilate those words. Leaning against the wall as a support, Vincent brought a trembling hand to his face.

"This..." He muttered incredulously, though in his heart he began to understand some of the things about himself that once seemed to him an indecipherable mystery, and even struggling internally to accept it, the pieces of the complex puzzle that was his life began to fit in.

"If you were an ordinary human your body wouldn't have endured the terrible experiments that Hojo submitted you, nor could it contain the essence of this power, even fragmented as it was at the time." Guildark said softly, and Vincent raised his face to stare back at the master cetra.

"I don't understand... What do you mean...?"

"You lived an incomplete life... Besides not knowing your past and not knowing the truth about yourself, the essence of your power was dispersed and you were not prepared to fulfill your destiny... And this it's my fault… To know that Chaos would be reborn as a cetra in our people became a source of great pride, especially to Ellyan's family who let it rise to their heads and their eldest son was raised as a prince by the village, for the belief that he was the chosen one."

The master closed his eyes.

"I saw the signs that to many were imperceptible... My heart said that the people's choice for Ellyan was wrong, because several times I thought I saw in his younger brother the face of the true Chaos, although asleep... But my pride spoke louder and on the day of the Ceremony of Passage I chose Ellyan to be my apprentice."

Vincent swallowed hard.

"I don't remember any of this..."

Guildark nodded slowly.

"You shouldn't remember, for it has been wholly erased from your memories... You now only remember the events that occurred after this period."

The boy was completely silent; he thought about his past life, about that revelation that Guildark showed him, about the master's last words and the golden-haired man sat on the floor next to his apprentice, waiting patiently until the other was ready to proceed.

"What happened?" Vincent inquired in a whisper after a long moment.

"You went very poorly on the tests and apparently had no aptitude to become an apprentice. Despite the number of masters present on the Ceremony only a few of the children were selected and you were part of the excluded majority. While your brother stood out in front of everyone, you lived a very sad and bitter childhood in Ellyan's shadow, denied and mistreated by your family, you ended up leaving your house to live on the streets your last years among the Cetras, forgotten even by your own people..."

Guildark faced his own hands, his face low, though his words were softly spoken.

"Ellyan was the best apprentice in the village, standing out in his training, but no matter the stimulus he received his heart had been corrupted by pride and he was never able to summon the powers of the Lifestream as Chaos was expected to conjure, and in time he became a rebellious boy and even more arrogant, deaf to my advices and teachings. It was when I internally began to perceive the error in my choice, but it was too late to repair it... Blind in their beliefs, the great leaders of our people believed that Ellyan, Chaos, would purify Gaia from all corruption so that we could return to the cycle of creation. A great discord ensued among those who believed in the part of the prophecy that Chaos would bring purification for this planet and restore balance, and among those who believed that the complete destruction of Gaia was the only solution to re-encounter the ancient mystical force of our people, and that after this Chaos and Omega would lead us towards the true Promised Land."

The golden-haired man closed his eyes.

"The war between the remaining cetras began, each side disputing the right to have Ellyan's 'power'... Awakening an old evil that should have remained asleep and forgotten, but that slowly began to consume them one by one, until at the end of it all, in one last violent confrontation... It ended up destroying us all."

The master continued after a brief moment.

"Of all the legacy of our people only two survived the carnage... My daughter Ifalna was one of them, for the previous afternoon she had left the village to go near the icy mountains of Icicle while Cobe and I had stayed in the temple... During the night when I noticed the beginning of the commotion I went immediately to the village and from the sea of blood that I found I was able to find you, Vincent, before you had been a victim of the confrontation and I brought you with me back to the temple..."

Sitting and bowed, Guildark took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more; the next words came out choppy and bitter and out of his mouth.

"When we arrived, part of the structure had yielded and was destroyed... Desperately I entered on the still passable corridors and I saw Cobe fallen near the entrance of the prayer room..."

With a bitter smile on his lips, Guildark observed his hands and a tear trickled down the side of his face.

"My son was dead."

Vincent looked at the master, his face unreadable; accustomed to the blond-haired boy's presence, always cheerful and full of life, to him those words sounded like a hard blow to his ears. He could not even conceive the image of that child in that state as the other described him. His shrunken shoulders, burdened with an invisible weight, and the shadows that hung on Guildark's face, his caramel eyes staring before him into a distant spot, showed surely that the man was reliving the scene through his memories.

"I was not late to find those responsible for such folly..." The master continued in a low voice. "Ellyan was there with others, all transformed, almost unrecognizable, immersed in the influence of that great evil that had distorted their good judgment, corrupting them even more... And in this way I was forced to end the life of my apprentice and also my son's murderer..."

Silence hovered between them and only the sound of the night breeze entering the window sang softly through the room; a long moment has passed until Guildark could proceed with his telling.

"I overcame my executioners and I was also victim of the same virus that robbed them of sanity, but I was wounded beyond the point of salvation and used my last strength to take you as far from the village as possible towards the mountains... On the way I erased your memories before my body finally succumbed and my soul rejoined to the Lifestream, and from there for a long time I watched the consequences of my terrible choices..."

The master Cetra looked at the apprentice with tenderness.

"I wished you could have a new life... That forgetting the sad years of your childhood among the Cetras in this way you could find the happiness that you never had here... I believed that with this last act, even if it couldn't repair my grave mistakes, it could somehow help you... So that I could redeem myself to finally rest in peace ... You were ten years old at the time, wandering oblivious and aimlessly through the snow. That was when Grimoire Valentine found you during a research he conducted on the origins of the Cetra people in the area, and pitying you he took you away with him."

Vincent, listening to the name of the man who had been so much in his life, always keeping with him the image of the loving and dedicated father he had been, was filled with strong emotion and Guildark gave a small smile.

"Grimoire Valentine was a brilliant scientist... He had long studied the ancient writings of the Cetra people about the Promised Land. He found a fragmented part of the original prophecy left in an ancient shrine of our people." The master looked at Vincent gravely. "It was not long before he discovered your true origin as a Cetra, and with an insight and wisdom greater than even that of the leaders of our people, he also discovered at the time your involvement with the prophecy. His obsession in researching Omega and Chaos and the role they both played in the destiny of the universe is because he always knew that you were Chaos's reincarnation."

The silver-haired boy watched Guildark with great astonishment, and the master went on.

"He feared for you... For what Shinra could do if they came to discover this truth, for he had truly become fond of you. Grimoire used all his knowledge to alter part of your genetic signature using his own blood through an experiment that permanently altered your appearance, giving you his black hair and crimson-red eyes. He managed to conceal from all your real identity as a Cetra, causing your true lineage to fall asleep as a hidden secondary DNA. He took you for his son, recognizing you in the public society as his own, saying that he had discovered about your existence recently as a birth that had been hidden from him because of his raptures during his youth, and as his son you grew up in Midgar with the life you still remember today in your memories."

The silver-haired boy shook his head, stunned, staring into his own hands though in his mind he was reminiscing the moments he had lived beside his father and only now perceiving small, subtle details he hadn't noticed before in his life, and which showed Grimoire's cautious and ever-vigilant attitudes towards anything that concerned his son, and also the hundreds hours of dedication in his researches he had only then interpreted as a passion for work.

Shaking his head, Vincent asked.

"Why did he hide this from me?"

"He wanted to help you understand yourself and your destiny in this world, but with so little information he believed that it was not yet the time to tell you the truth. And for many years he researched everything he could because he knew he had only little time left..."

Vincent looked at his master with a certain alarm, frowning.

"What do you mean?"

Guildark sighed, and carefully choosing his next words, he told his apprentice.

"Grimoire didn't die just because of the incident that occurred in the laboratory that day, Vincent."

The silver-haired boy observed the man in disbelief, unable to comprehend the connotation of that phrase at once, and running his hand over his face; the master began to tell him slowly, for he knew it would be difficult for the other to hear it.

"Grimoire was sick..." He started. "For a long time this disease advanced slowly without him being able to find a cure, and not wanting to worry both of you with his state he concealed this fact from you and Lucrecia. During his researches Grimoire discovered that the essence of Chaos's power was divided into four parts scattered around this planet, and in the crystal cave where there was a theory that Chaos would be reborn there he found two of these essences and the Protomateria. That afternoon he and his student were testing one of these essences found to understand why the source of your power was divided and how he could unite the essences to you in case one day needed, but there was an imbalance in the experimentation and this went out of control causing an explosion that projected the essence against Lucrecia and Grimoire threw himself in in front of her to save her from the impact. His body, already weakened, absorbed completely the shock of this energy ... In this way the first essence of your fragmented power became lost entirely, and your father couldn't bear the impact because the essence propelled the state of the disease, advancing it considerably, and he succumbed..."

Vincent listened to the story in complete silence and at no time did he interrupt the master as he said those words to him. He had already heard several versions of what had happened to his father that day; Grimoire colleagues from Shinra's Science Department, his colleagues on the comments that ran between the Turks and other company officials, the cold lines written in the newspaper published the morning of the following day, through the disconnected sentences and full of bitterness and lament of Lucrecia before she ran away from him… But that was the first time someone had told him about his father like that; Vincent's could recognize Grimoire by the way Guildark talked about the brilliant scientist and the weight of that solid, concrete information that fitted perfectly with the memories he had of his father and the time of the laboratory's incident made him feel like he had taken a hard blow. His traitorous mind conjured up images of his past, as if to point out in his face the occasions on which his father in recent years had strangely avoided him for a few moments, leaving the room and locking himself in his room for long hours, like if trying to hide from him something.

"Why did he never tell me...?" The boy murmured in an extremely bitter voice, his brown eyes dark with sadness.

Guildark gazed at him with tenderness and put a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

"He really loved you as his son, Vincent, and didn't want your origins and even your destiny to keep you from being whoever you wanted to be, or to be happy." The master told him gently. "Lucrecia also greatly admired his work and her insistence that they worked on the project that day led her to believe that her teacher's death was her fault."

The boy shook his head.

"I never blamed her for anything..."

"I know ..." Guildark nodded his head in agreement. "But unfortunately she didn't listen to your words, as immersed in her own guilt, fears, and regrets as she was. Lucrecia after that day continued with Grimoire's researches, going deeper into the subject as a way of completing the project in his memory, because although she did not understand his real motivations she knew how important that research had been to him and this led her to complete her Ph.D., presenting the thesis project on Chaos and Omega and the theory of creation of the universe based on the findings that both had made on the Cetra people. So she was inserted into the Shinra's Science Department, where together with Hojo and Gast, the three gave start to the Jenova project"

The boy's face hardened as he listened to the head scientist's name once more and his eyes took on a deep shadow of hatred and disgust. Through realizing the aversion in his apprentice's countenance, Guildark went on.

"After finding the Calamity from the skies at North Crater and Gast discovering that Jenova was not a Cetra as he initially believed, he abandoned the project and Hojo took the creature's remains to the city of Nibelheim where fate made you and Lucrecia met for the first time. She was a woman truly passionate about science and had a good heart: she believed that science could be the great solution to most of humanity's ills and that her studies could contribute in saving the lives of many. The Jenova project for her presented itself as the opportunity for groundbreaking research, but her ingenuity was easily exploited by Hojo, who has always wanted to use the project for military purposes and for his own benefit."

"Lucrecia..." Vincent whispered her name; his voice carried a wistful, melancholy tone.

Although those were the saddest years of his life he was able to remember everything that happened neatly. The conversations he had with the beautiful scientist, the months that seemed to pass too fast in an avalanche of decisions and events that advanced uncontrollably toward the abyss; words uttered in vain, truly erased, plunged into fears, guilty and regrets for himself and for her. He regretted his own hesitation and insecurity to deal with the facts, repenting even after so long for not doing anything at the time, for not having confronted Hojo directly, for not having insisted to Lucrecia give up the project to live a life long and happier than those gray, suffering days in the subterranean labs.

It was his sins that were forever marked as deep scars on his soul.

"Lucrecia loved you in her way, Vincent." Guildark spoke to him after a moment of silence. "Though her feelings at that time were misrepresented by the great guilt she felt for your father's death. No longer bearing the weight of her charges against herself, she sought to withdraw from you at the same time as, deluded by Hojo's promises that their work would make a great contribution to science and to society, she agreed to conceive Sephiroth. Later when you were shot and subjected to Hojo's violent experiences, your body only endured the procedures and the insertion of the demons because of your hidden Cetra lineage and for you being Chaos's reincarnation, as I've told you before; if even Lucrecia's attempts to saved you wouldn't have worked… She used the knowledge of Grimoire's project and infused the second part of the essence of Chaos into your body, that extremely tortured by the experiments entered into a process of intense conflict that she only managed to neutralize using the Protomateria. This condensed form of energy that is also a kind of defense of the planet against its own destruction acted on your body, and for many years helped you stabilize the incomplete and unstable energies of you own power."

The silver-haired boy raised his face, staring distantly at the pale moonlight through the window that partially bathed the room.

"I tried to approach her; I tried to advise her…" He said in a low voice. "But she never wanted to listen to me and she always moved away from me, and I, believing it to be the right thing to do, kept away and didn't stop them from using their own child as an experiment …"

Guildark looked at his apprentice; his caramel eyes glowed meaningfully.

"You've never really tried to know the stages of the project in detail, have you?"

Frowning thoughtfully, the boy replied.

"Although I did not have access to all the information, as a Turk and a member of the security of the mansion and the laboratory I wouldn't have had trouble finding out anything about the project if I really wanted to, but... I was so... Angry... Unbelieving... For what they were doing, even though they saying it was for the sake of science... I never wanted to know anything about it."

"You should have done it." Guildark told him. "You would have discovered that Sephiroth was not Hojo's son."

Vincent stared at him in astonishment.

"What... But... He told us on top of the..."

"He lied." The master spoke merely. "Sephiroth is the son of the only woman you loved, Vincent, and Hojo always had a grudge against you; saying that the only thing left of Lucrecia was connected to him seemed a good way to taunt you so that could you suffer even more with the memories of the past."

"So they never...?" The boy stammered and Guildark confirmed, shaking his head with amusement on his face.

Vincent couldn't explain the great relief in his heart that he felt at that moment to know that Hojo and Lucrecia had never been together 'in that way', although he also couldn't explain the enormous confusion that was evident in his countenance when the new question began to manifest itself in his intimate, and understanding the line of thoughts of his apprentice, the master Cetra continued.

"At the time the best scientists at the Shinra's Science Department were Hojo, Lucrecia and Gast, and after Gast's departure from the team, when they decided to invest in the Jenova project, Hojo and Lucrecia worked on forming a new DNA structure that was converted into the construction of adulterated spermatozoon to be used according to their purposes. I may say that Sephiroth didn't have a 'normal' formation, since from the beginning of his conception he was 'built' to be an experiment that only in the end his mother regretted it, developing love for the child, but when this happened it was too late to prevent Hojo from taking the boy away as soon as he was born."

"How can this be possible?"

"They constructed the principle of a life using Lucrecia's DNA, Jenova's cells, and the DNA contained in a blood sample taken from Shinra's Corporation's military staff database. She agreed to have the child as long as she didn't know the identity of the child's 'father', and Hojo, perhaps as an inner irony to amuse himself, was the one who chose this sample."

"Who?" Vincent inquired, frowning.

"He picked one of a strong, healthy young man with good apparent genetic built and who, according to the data reported in the system file, had all the desirable characteristics regarding weight, height, body mass, considered as the perfect match. He was a member of the Turks and the only thing that had been recorded about him in the archives of the Jenova project, which you would have seen if you had sought to know more about it, was the serial number of the blood sample collected: 0-78549-0201-VV"

Hearing that code Vincent immediately paled.

"H-He..." He stammered stunned and Guildark nodded his head in affirmation, pointing to the other end of the room; Vincent glanced at the direction and found his own image in a mirror reflecting his face of white skin and short silver hair whose few strands fell softly over his eyes.

"Although your Cetra DNA had become a secondary feature dormant in you, this hasn't stopped your child from inheriting these traits of yours."

Trembling, the boy leaned against the wall and put his face in his hands.

Sephiroth... Was his son...? Those words echoed in his head in a strange way, and it was difficult to accept them as interconnected with himself after so many years believing that Shinra's general had no connection with him. His thoughts led him to reflect on the man with long silver hair and how he had met him in madness and hatred, a terrible and cruel monster that had almost destroyed the entire planet and with his hands had harvested the lives of so many innocents after his discovery about the Jenova project. Vincent closed his eyes and his mind made him imagine Hojo torturing the boy during his childhood, raising him in the midst of laboratories, subjecting him to horrible experiments and tests, distorting him to create the perfect war machine that he had become in the future, upbringing away from any kind of human feeling like love, joy, or parent's tenderness.

His son... Sephiroth... Vincent thought again, watching the mirror with a bitter look; for so many years he had been locked in a coffin lamenting the mistakes of his past, he allowed his son to be used, abused, and discarded as he himself had been by the man he hated the most. He considered it a sin for not being capable of save Lucrecia and too to have allowed the son of the woman he loved to become the monster he had become... But now he was not only her son, but also his son as well, and the weight of that knowledge hurt him harshly by the awareness of his faults towards the general of Shinra. He thought again on beautiful scientist, and his voice after a long moment appeared in the room in the form of a whisper.

"Lucrecia... She..."

"No... She only knew from Hojo much time later, just before Sephiroth's birth." The master Cetra revealed to him. "Your son was also born with a destiny to fulfill, Vincent... Sephiroth, as Chaos's son and a half-cetra, had a power above ordinary humans that made him stand out quickly before everyone's eyes and reach a key position of General in Shinra. Even though he had an extremely difficult childhood, his character remained intact and fair, which made him the admirable hero as he had been known. His true purpose is to be a balancing anchor for the Lifestream energies and care for the planet so that it could have the chance to regenerate. It was his duty to prepare it so that when the time came for the final decision Sephiroth could deliver Gaia in your hands having chances on you choosing to save it... But his wrong education and growth in Hojo's hands and his unconscious ignorance, who, as you, also were totally unprepared, when he discovered part of the archives of the Jenova project that still remained in the mansion made him completely thrown himself into the abyss of madness... He, too, when he touched the face of the Calamity from the skies, was destroyed like the Cetra who preceded him."

The master breathed deeply, there was also a certain tone of regret in his voice as he spoke.

"With its main pillar being destroyed, the planet focused its energies on the one closest to Sephiroth at that fateful moment to try to mitigate the impact of the event as a way to protect itself, and Cloud Strife was chosen to assume the position that originally belonged to your son. How could expect a simple infantry man, without any advanced military training, to suddenly have the strength to defeat the general of his army?" The master Cetra shook his head slowly. "The Lifestream's energies focused on Cloud, giving him the power to bring a temporary balance to the planet... But the events that occurred later were just the prelude to the turning point that was to come, quick and inevitable... After the Geostigma, through the terrible actions committed by Deepground manipulated by Hojo, Omega resurfaced and as much as Cloud Strife and your friends had fought against the destiny imposed on the planet, it was your duty to interpose in the course of events to give the final decision, but without the other three essences and after the sudden extraction of the Protomateria, you collapsed and your own power began to destroy the body in which you were reborn, leaving you powerless against these events."

Guildark then looked directly at him with sadness in his gaze.

"But all these things... they were never your fault. You didn't know anything..." The blond-haired man told him on the edge of a whisper. "I have made many mistakes and my soul has never ceased to mourn the terrible consequences of my choices, even now when they are no more than a distant dark remembrance."

Guildark held the boy's hands in his, telling him softly.

"Forgive me Arman... Vincent... For it were my choices that began the path of your fall and our condemnation..."

Driven by extreme sincerity in the master's eyes, swallowing hard, Vincent muttered in a choked voice.

"You did what you thought was right... There is no right in me to judge you." The silver-haired boy shook his head slowly. "All of this... This power... Chaos and its meaning... I..."

Guildark looked at him tenderly.

"I want to be able to believe that hope doesn't come late to us and this world, to believe that humans can change themselves and the course of their destiny, and that in your hands, although you still have the power of decision, rest the key to a future in which there is light, peace and life for our children and future generations."

Vincent looked at the master.

"This decision, this choice... It is too great to rest in the hands of a single man, Guildark... What you have revealed to me is very serious... You are asking too much of me... I... I need think..."

The man agreed, nodding his head.

"I don't expect you to accept everything I told you right now... You need to think and it will take time until by yourself you find the balance between the memories of your past life and the knowledge you hold in your hands now, and it will take time for you to have complete awareness of the responsibility to take on your destiny and change the present events and the future… I just want you to know that everything I know will teach you and everything I can do to help you, I will do."

Guildark put his hands on his apprentice's shoulders and looking into his eyes he told him with unshakeable solidity.

"You are not alone."


	5. Act I - Chosen

**The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Chosen**

After the black clouds had completely covered the night sky while echoing in the distance the thunder and lightning of the approaching storm, it was during the dawn that the rain fell heavily, bathing the mountains and valleys of that remote region. Safe inside the temple, whose corridors also echoed the sound of the raindrops mercilessly punishing the roof and outer structure of the old building, Ifalna walked slowly, her footsteps touching lightly on the wooden floor _;_ she left her chamber and approached the neighboring room, and realizing that the door was ajar, the brown-haired girl silently entered the place, her worried eyes searched for her friend.

In the room partially immersed in darkness Ifalna saw the silver-haired boy sitting on the edge of his bed, shoulders slumped, elbows resting on his knees and face partially concealed in his hands; the sound of rain falling insistently was the only thing that could be heard and gave life to the place, that other than this seemed to be immersed in the same shadows that hung in the boy's thoughts.

The girl frowned, remembering everything she had talked with her father a few days ago, and in a timid voice she called.

"Vincent ...?"

The boy raised his face, his dark brown eyes staring at her with intensity and a maturity that went far beyond his current appearance.

"Since when did your father tell you?" He inquired in a sober voice.

Interpreting it as a sign of a not-so-unwelcome visit, Ifalna approached her friend and sat down beside him on the bed.

"Only a few days ago." She answered. "He told me about many things... He told me about you, about Chaos... He told me about the future and about me also."

Watching him with gentleness, the girl placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand... It must be difficult for you, to know all this..." Ifalna told him. "I myself sometimes find it difficult to believe in the terrible things that happened to this place, with father and Cobe, I cannot even imagine it... But he also told me that your presence here with the memories of this dark and sad future is proof of the second chance we have to find hope for this world."

Vincent said nothing, frowning. The girl after a brief moment of silence also spoke softly.

"Father told me you knew her."

Lifting his face to observe his friend, the silver-haired boy immediately realized what she meant and slowly he nodded in agreement.

"Yes... We traveled together for a little while."

"What was she like?" Ifalna inquired with genuine curiosity, and her countenance lit up at the thought.

Vincent took a deep breath; though he hadn't turned his face away, his brown eyes were lost at a point far from the room as the memories once again invaded his mind, and it was only after a full minute of silence that the boy looked again at his friend's face, telling her in a low voice.

"Aerith... was just like you. She was a young woman in her early twenties when I met her... She had long brown hair, emerald green eyes like her mother's. She was upbeat, carefree and joyful, showing compassion even to those who doesn't deserves it. She was independent, outgoing and even motherly... A kind of woman who displayed an intuitive understanding of others and was deeply in-tune with nature. She was different, she had a wisdom that went beyond her young age... She..."

Vincent was silent then; his face filled with deep sadness as he remembered the tragic end the beautiful woman had, and he closed his eyes when a hard understanding finally came to his mind.

It was his son who killed her daughter.

Ifalna held his hand gently and with the same understanding, gentleness, and wisdom as her daughter, she told him softly.

"I know what happened... There's nothing to regret about, Vincent, for there's much to lose in useless guilts... We can only learn from this gift that we were given to not commit the same mistakes again."

The silver-haired boy stared at her.

"You are really alike..."

Ifalna just smiled slightly.

"There is still a chance for our family and also for our children. We still have time." She stated and he slowly nodded in agreement, holding her hand firmly in his.

"It will not happen again." Vincent told her and his words came out as an oath to himself.

...

Standing in the center of a clearing, amidst the woods of the forest near the temple, Guildark watched the beautiful serene nature that surrounded them and his gaze rose into the clear morning sky, gleaming the foreshadowing of a new day .

"One of the things that requires our complete understanding is that everything that exists in this world is interconnected, this is an absolute and incontestable truth." The master told his apprentice. "The Lifestream is present in all things, in the sky above our heads, in the sun that rises on the horizon, in the wind that caresses our faces, in the water we drink, in the land we tread and in ourselves, for that is what gives life to the universe and, by acquiring a solid state, gives form to all things and living beings that populate this planet."

The golden-haired man knelt down and put his open hands on the ground.

"It covers not only the surface of the planet, but as a 'soul' also fills its interior. It is as if we exist on a great living being, as well as our blood flowing in our veins throughout our body to purify it, the Lifestream also acts on Gaia in the same way which receives this energy in its nucleus continuously, to purify it from impurities absorbed caused by the events that daily occurred on its exterior."

Watching the silver-haired boy, the master told him.

"Do the same, Vincent."

With mild curiosity on his countenance he obeyed the request, kneeling and also touching his open hands on the ground, and Guildark went on.

"Notice that it is possible to feel in the palm of your hands this energy flowing steadily on the earth, for me it presents itself in a very subtle way, but for you, who is a being directly intertwined with the Lifestream and the creation of the universe, I'm certain that you can discern this energy more clearly and sharply."

Marveled, Vincent could feel clearly in his hands that strange and curious fluid caressing his skin; though he was only touching the surface of the dry soil, he had a distinct feeling as if he were dipping his hands into the steady stream of a river whose icy waters touched his fingers gently. Closing his eyes he sought with his senses to follow the extent of that energy, and to him, as if to greet an old acquaintance, it opened wide, expanding like an ocean full of life towards infinity.

"Amazing..." he whispered, opening his eyes to look at his master.

"The miracle of life is amazing, Vincent." The man told him. "And this is what makes each one of us unique. Although this life by its essence is intertwined with the Lifestream and the planet, and this occurs to both the Cetra people and also to humans, each one of us is united to one another by this almost imperceptible stream."

The golden-haired man rose, but with one gesture he asked for the other to remain as he was.

"Because the Lifestream is inside us, our actions and attitudes, whether good or bad, also influence this energy and can often corrupt it, making it a dark fluid that returns to the center of the planet and sometimes ends up not being purified naturally, accumulating in the inner mantle and causing severe imbalances in nature with the passage of time." Guildark then asked him. "Search the stream for these negative fluid lines; with the nearby village and the unfortunate accumulation of unfavorable feelings of some people I know, I'm sure you will not have trouble finding a sample."

Closing his eyes again Vincent proceeded, seeking in that ocean for traces of imbalance or something different and he soon found it; a black line that seemed to cut the limpid fluid violently. Looking back at his master, he asked.

"And now?"

"Call upon it, forcing it to reveal itself before our eyes." Guildark instructed him. "Chaos is a being made of corrupted energy, but not necessarily meaning it is an evil being. Call on it, Vincent, it will obey your call."

Still feeling connected to the Lifestream and to that blackened fluid, the boy stood up and raising his hands before him at the height of his face, he internally called for that corrupted energy, feeling when it immediately obeyed his command. From the ground before their eyes sprouted a spring of translucent black fluid that rose to the top in a spiral to accumulate in Vincent's hands in the shape of a dense, negativity-laden sphere.

"As Chaos you have command over any corrupted energy that acts on the planet, and as a Cetra you also have the ancestral ability of our people to purify these energies; this explains why of your rebirth among us and why in your hands you carry the two keys to the future that are quoted in the prophecy."

The master cetra approached his apprentice and rested his hands over the boy's.

"Search now within yourself for this second nature."

Vincent stared intently at the accumulation of energy in his hands that moved in a circular motion as he wished; it seemed to be formed by little black clouds, like those of a storm, striking each other constantly. The silver-haired boy imagined within himself such alike energy but endowed with neutral fluids capable of merging into that sphere and transforming the corrupted Lifestream fluids into pure ones again. And before his wondering eyes from his hands emanated a soft white light that penetrated that black layer and completely enveloped the sphere, transforming it slowly into a greenish and clear fluids, and after being fully converted, revealing itself pure and crystalline once again, the renewed Lifestream dissolved and fell between the joined hands of the master and apprentice like wires of mist, penetrating the ground to rejoin the planet.

Guildark smiled.

...

When Guildark took one of the sacred articles of the prayer room from the shelf and deposited it in front of him, Vincent looked at the object indifferently, raising an eyebrow at the master. He inquired.

"A sword?" Shaking his head slowly, the silver-haired boy snorted and added. "I prefer guns."

The golden-haired man showed an amused knowing smile.

"But you will learn swordsmanship alike, for it will be useful to you in the future."

Vincent just stared at him.

"Now..." Guildark went on. "The first thing is..."

...

On one of the occasions when Guildark left the Cetra village with his apprentice for training or to give a specific teaching, they made a short journey through the mountains of Icicle.

Through mounts they were able to quickly cross the extensive forest that surrounded the village, then passed the long plain before the icy mountains, and shortly afterwards they found themselves continuing upward by narrow passages amid the high peaks. Snow became thick as they covered the ground, forcing them to delay the advance so that they could proceed safely. At that time of the year the climate in that region became mild and the snowstorms were less frequent; when both reached a more open area they were graced with the beautiful wide view of the whole continent where the snow-covered lands gave way to the forests and continued on to the distant frontier until it ended in the blue-green ocean, and on the horizon it revealed the first remnants of the neighboring continent.

The temperature at that moment, even below zero, was not extremely negative and Vincent found it curious that the cold and thin air didn't bother him as much as it had once in the past; it was as if after he had become aware of himself and because of the advance of his training in the mystical arts of his own power he was connected with the very essence of the universe that formed the planet and the aggressive changes that took place in the terrestrial atmosphere no longer were capable of reaching him.

Although the blond-haired man had not at first told him the destination of that trip, Vincent soon discovered for himself where they were going; already having a previous knowledge of the region, the silver-haired boy soon realized that both were heading towards North Crater.

Inquiring inwardly why the cetra master wished to take him to that place, although they occasionally exchanged a little conversation during the journey, Guildark still revealed nothing about the real purpose of his decision.

When on the afternoon of the third day the sun began to slowly descend on the horizon to hide behind the mountains, Guildark left the mounts tied to a distinct rocky elevation and led his apprentice down a narrow passage on the mountain's side until it suddenly revealed a small entrance to an underground cave.

They advanced along a corridor formed of stone and ice, their footsteps echoing gently over the frozen surface, they seemed to descend into the heart of the mountain until they entered a large, wide, oval hall; the rocks rose to the top covered by the same thin layer of ice that lay like a cloak above the floor, and on the ceiling the pointed stalactites turned down like a number of needles decorating the scenario. Columns of ice and stone rose to the top, and in the center of them was an opening in the stone as the soft evening light entered the place, touching the surface of the ice and reflecting the light throughout the room.

Guildark walked slowly to the center and turned partially to face his apprentice.

"Do you know where we are, Vincent?"

"In the North Crater." The other replied without hesitation.

Nodding slowly, the cetra master then told him.

"Look at this place through the essence of your power, and tell me again where _exactly_ we are."

Frowning, Vincent closed his eyes and focused on the energies of the Lifestream that invisible to the eye flowed into everything that formed that place; he suddenly looked back at his master when he felt clearly the presence of five great sleeping beings hidden within the walls.

"The Weapons ..."

"Yes..." Guildark agreed. "This is the exact spot where they are."

The master indicated an ice wall further down, near them.

"Touch the surface and do the same." He instructed him.

Vincent stared at the man for a moment, his face filled with curiosity, and he approached the place indicated by the other, raising one of his hands; when his fingers subtly touched the ice his mind was immediately filled with a vision.

 _He was standing in a vast, fertile plain, where green grass grew and flourished in abundance and the Lifestream ran the surface in translucent, clear fluids; the essence of the universe filled everything and the ground beneath his feet seemed to contain_ _inwardly_ _all beings that lived harmoniously on the planet. From the clear blue sky suddenly a dense black cloud spread, completely covering the vastness in darkness, and from the top fell a great ball of fire that struck the center of the plain, severely wounding it. The flames spread ravenously, destroying everything they touched and cries of pain and suffering echoed sharply through the dark night. The heat spread, choking him, and from the black wound a creature rose to the top, its eyes revealed the face of death._

Vincent immediately withdrew his hand from the ice's surface and took several steps away, breathing heavily and staring at the wall with astonishment. Although in words he couldn't explain what he had seen, he fully understood in his heart its meaning. It showed the creation of Gaia by the hands of the Cetra and the fall of the Calamity, as well as the destruction of those who had given life to the planet.

With wide-eyed eyes the silver-haired boy understood what lay behind it.

"Jenova." He whispered.

Clenching his hands into fists, filled with a sense of revulsion, Vincent remembered all that had happened in his past and all that that creature had destroyed with its presence, and suddenly moved by an overwhelming force that sprouted from within himself, the silver-haired boy stepped forward determined to end that threat at that very moment, but Guildark placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him firmly.

Vincent stared at him with extreme displeasure, his eyes filled with the fiery angry yellow color that slowly changed, taking back on the soft, natural brown tone.

"Sometimes a decision, well-intentioned it may be, is not the best one to take." Guildark spoke softly. "The true wisdom, Vincent, is not to take the attitude of acting, for this requires only the courage to take the first step, but to perceive in the faint lines of our destiny the right moment to act."

...

They left the cave just before the sun had completely disappeared on the horizon, and advancing through the early evening for a few more hours, they finally decided to camp in a safe place. The return trip proved less difficulty and the passages that descended the slope of the mountain were traveled more easily and quickly. They proceeded in silence most of the way; although the quietness between them wasn't uncomfortable, it was clear that Vincent was silent because of the events that took place inside the North Crater. Though still somewhat displeased, he thoughtfully sought to understand the words of his master and reflect the impact that his actions might have had on his future in case he had followed with his initial intent, and one of the answers he had bitterly found was that without the Jenova Project he wouldn't have approached Lucrecia, nor would his son have been born as a result of that research.

Guildark, aware of the inner conflicts his apprentice carried with him, let the boy keep his silence so that he could find the balance he needed with the new knowledge. Slowly, at a certain point of the path, the cetra master moved them off the route to follow another way amid the forest, and noticing that unexpected change Vincent frowned, though he did nothing to comment the other man's decision.

A few minutes later, after crossing an area of difficult access, they came across a small wooden house, which although apparently empty, it looked well cared. Guildark showed familiarity with the place that had all the necessary items to live in comfort and simplicity; two rooms with neat beds, a bathroom, a living room and a small kitchen.

"Leave your things anywhere, Vincent, we'll spend the night here." The master told him as he picked out some pieces of firewood lying on a pile.

"What is this place?" The boy spoke for the first time since they had left the cave.

"It's my home." Guildark replied, tossing the wood into the fireplace and lighting it. "I lived here for a few years with my wife and Ifalna. I went to the village just to attend the council's meetings while they both stayed here; it was a nook of peace that belonged only to us."

The golden-haired man stared intently at the flames.

"After Cobe's birth, when she died, I had to move permanently to the temple with my children."

"I'm sorry." Vincent spoke in a low voice and the master shook his head.

"Remember the way we went to come to this place?" Guildark asked him seriously. "Where is the passage and how to access it to come to the house?"

"Yes, perfectly." The apprentice replied.

"Never forget it." The golden-haired man spoke, and something in his caramel eyes intrigued the boy deeply.

...

Following the busy streets through the stone city, Vincent carried a bag of fresh breads in his hands as he walked briskly towards the central square. It was an order from Ifalna for breakfast that day and the sweet, warm smell of the food, fresh out of the oven, constantly tempted him along the way to taste a piece, but didn't letting himself be carried away by that desire, he continued the course.

About to reach his destination it was when he suddenly sensed it; either through his already advanced training or even by the soft invisible energies of the Lifestream surrounding the village that seemed to communicate with him in small warning signs, Vincent realized the exact moment the other boy would push him hard on his back, and ducking in the last second, he saw the other surprised stagger a few paces, almost falling face with his on the ground.

His friends gave a slight laugh of amusement but when the boy rose again, his face turned into a mask of fury, the other boys immediately stilled in fear. Ellyan's blue eyes flashed with anger, glaring at him.

"It seems like you've finally been learning something to put in that hollow head of yours. Tell me, how is your training with Master Guildark? Have you performed well your function of dead-weight to hold the temple's doors?"

The other boys immediately laughed, but without showing any reaction to the mockery, Vincent only watched Ellyan with indifference.

"I don't have time for your child's play. If you want to play in the clay, pushing your friends around, make yourself comfortable, because the streets are public. Now, between dedicating myself to you or to the bread, I find that returning to the temple now to deliver it still warm are more worth of my attention."

The blue-eyed boy became enraged and his face flushed. Little had changed in him in the years that had passed since the last time they had met at the Ceremony of Passage; he had grown a little and his body had become slightly stronger, but his face still carried the same arrogance it had that time.

"You think you're good, don't you?" Ellyan bellowed. "I bet you don't know anything!"

Approaching the other boy, he taunted.

"Drop that bag and face me, show me what you've done during your training. I'm going to break your face in half!"

Vincent didn't move; his countenance remained unchanged and unsurprised.

"Fight me!" Ellyan spoke aloud and yet the other remained motionless.

Seeing that his taunts and words did nothing to break the calm serenity of the younger boy, with anger Ellyan advanced against him, but his fist was suddenly caught in mid-air by Guildark's steady hand, who had suddenly appeared beside them and watched his former apprentice with indifference.

"What are you doing, Ellyan?" The man's voice scolded him sternly. "You know well that any kind of violence on the streets of the city is forbidden. Didn't your master teach you that the arts and secret knowledge of our people are for the protection and good of society, not to show off as if you were in a circus? You should be ashamed of your attitude."

The blue-eyed boy's face burned with embarrassment and he glared at the master, however, didn't dare to talk back. Guildark released his hand and shoved him in the opposite direction.

"Now, get out."

After giving one last glared at Vincent's direction, Ellyan and his group quickly moved away and soon disappeared in the middle of the streets. Guildark watched his apprentice.

"You did well to not fall for his taunts."

Nodding, the silver-haired boy replied.

"It wasn't the right time or the right place for this; it wouldn't have been a good decision." Vincent looked at him with a small serene smile on his lips. "Isn't this what you taught me?"

The master stared at him in surprise; his previous words to Ellyan reminded him of the time when he did his best to teach the boy who always despised his words, while at the present moment he was confronted with his current apprentice who clearly showed how much he valued his words and advises.

Guildark silently nodded in agreement, inwardly marveled.

...

In the twilight of the day he completed ten years old, Vincent, sitting on the eaves of the balcony on the second floor of the temple, stared gravely at the horizon. The hues of the setting sun dyed the sky in a dance of warm colors, where gold mixed with red and brown, then united to disperse in the deepest black ocean above. He felt strangely uneasy, his heart pounding inside his chest. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; trying to exhale some of the tension built up around his shoulders, and when he opened them again he found the remnants of the sun covered by a black cloud and the vast sky completely dyed by blood.

The boy shot up with a start; as soon as the strange vision had arisen it suddenly disappeared, revealing nothing more than the beautiful and serene scenery of the valley, the forests and mountains that existed beyond the stone city.

Vincent put a hand to his chest, breathing heavily, and the sound of laughter echoed loudly in the room behind him, momentarily distracting him from his torpor.

Turning partially he watched the small family that oblivious to his inner conflict enjoyed that little pleasant moment between them. Ifalna rose from the table, the beautiful twelve-year-old girl had a smile that brightened her face; her brown hair was even longer. Gracefully she moved away from towards a nearby hall.

"I'll prepare dinner!"

"Careful, my dear." Guildark called her gently. "Are you sure you don't want me to do it?"

"No!" She laughed. "I already know how to do it! I will not burn the rice this time."

"I don't want to do the dishes if she burns the rice again, father." Cobe said, his caramel eyes staring at the man begging. "The kitchen smelled horrible and I had to put up with it!"

The master laughed with amusement and stroked his son's golden hair.

"Now, Cobe, be kind to your sister. I'm sure she inherited the wonderful culinary gifts of your mother."

"All she needs is to finally wake it up." The eight-year-old boy muttered darkly.

"I heard that!" Ifalna's voice echoed from the other room.

"You didn't hear anything!" Cobe snapped back.

Ifalna suddenly appeared at the door and her green eyes glared at her brother, who also glared back.

"Now, stop it you two; today is Vincent's birthday and you will spend it fighting all the time?" Guildark shushed gently, and enlightened by the remind of that information the golden-haired boy, already accustomed to the other's second name though he still didn't know the real reasons behind it, immediately stood up from his chair and ran up to the older boy, grabbing one of his arms.

"I made you a gift!" Cobe grinned.

"Really?" Vincent asked, smiling softly. "I'm curious... May I see it?"

The master's son nodded fervently and pulled him into another room. Laughing Guildark followed them closely, resting a hand on his apprentice's shoulder and walking beside him. And though Vincent enjoyed that quiet and pleasant day, that previous shadow never left his heart.


	6. Act I - Edge

**The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Edge**

"Clearly the time has come!"

The man's voice echoed loudly through the beautiful hall, reverberating with sovereignty showing the force of his impetus. With short red hair, fair complexion and oval face, medium-sized and dressed in an elegant and refined robe of white and gold, his perceptive black eyes peered at the other members of the council who were silent to listen carefully to his words.

"Do you not perceive that we are approaching the day when we will see the glory of our people rising again in this world, even stronger than the light of the sun itself?" He asked them, stretching out his arms to show their surrounding scenery in general. "We must no longer hide in this stone prison under the shadows of humans as if _we_ were the ones who owe them the grace of life. We now have in our hands the key to change our destiny and thus return to the cycle of creation! We can resume our journey to the true Promised Land! "

"The circle has been broken, Rowan." Another cetra, an old man, took the floor at that moment. "For many years we haven't been able to unite with the essence of the Lifestream that is contained on this planet."

Rowan looked at him gravely and also with mild irritation.

"The prophecy being fulfilled is exactly what will enable this to happen. You have listened to it, but you have not interpreted its words. Chaos's rebirth among us is a gift to the cetras! In its hands it has the power of regeneration and destruction, and that is exactly what we need."

The head of the village, seated in his chair, ran a hand over the long white beard of his face, frowning.

"Where exactly do you intend to go?" He inquired the master.

"The age of men and Gaia's time is over." Rowan uttered as a sentence. "Chaos will destroy this planet and regenerate the essence of our people, so Omega may return and both will guide us to the true Promised Land."

A great commotion settled in the hall before those words and several voices rose and mingled with one another. The old man tapped his cane on the floor, demanding order in the room and gradually the volume subsided until only the voice of another member of the council manifested itself clearly.

"But this... Didn't the prophecy refer to the possibility of 'saving' Gaia so we could continue to live here?

Rowan's face turned to contempt.

"In this miserable way, unworthy of who we are?!" The red-haired man inquired sarcastically; his voice rose. "We were the ones who gave life to this planet, we were the ones who created the humans, we were the ones who shed our blood in the past so that life today could still continue to exist here, and for what? To live hidden as if we were ashamed of our race?! "

Observing the council's members, standing in the center of the hall, he shook his head, saying coldly.

"No more."

Several whispers and remarks among those present manifested once more in the room.

"Are you aware of the gravity of what you're implying, Rowan?" Guildark's voice rose above the murmur of the others, and from the circle of people the golden-haired man appeared and walked to the center. "You speak plainly about the annihilation of the entire human race."

His comment provoked the desired effect; all immediately fell into silence.

"Tell me..." Guildark scrutinized the other master with austerity. "What makes you believe we have this right?"

"The time has come, Guildark, and we need to act now." Rowan answered dryly. "Listen to the voices that run through space, calling us to come back in. Why should we continue here when we finally have the means to go home? Because of these inferior beings that have no respect for us or for the planet that guarantees them sustenance? If they themselves don't value their lives, why should we? "

"We're talking about the lives of thousands of people."

"It's our heritage!" The red-haired man exclaimed. "It is our right! We create this world and we can also destroy it."

"Death and destruction were never the principles that ruled our people." Guildark replied coldly. "The cetras have always been the guides of life and light, not executioners to spread shadows over our own creation."

"They are unworthy of this life they possess!" Rowan was filled with fury.

"They are our brothers!" The blond-haired man's voice rumbled through the room, which, if possible, became even quieter.

Staring at the other council members sternly, the caramel-eyed master continued; his gaze was so intense it seemed to reach their souls.

"Or have you forgotten about this?" Guildark inquired soberly. "They are blood of our blood and their heritage also comes from our ancestors, judging them by the choice they made... Who are we now to accuse them, when we ourselves are no longer able to invoke the pure energies of the universe? Right now what do we have of different from them?"

None of the council members answered, and nodding, the man answered his own question.

"Absolutely nothing."

Rowan raged.

"Where were our 'brothers' when the Calamity fell from the skies and decimated us?!" The master hissed. "They hid themselves in their houses and forgot us!"

"They didn't have the strength to fight such evil; they would have been annihilated as our ancestors were." Guildark frowned gravely. "What do you think has changed since that time?"

At the other master's silence, the golden-haired man approached him, his eyes glaring at him indifferent.

"I know what you want to do..." Guildark said to him, slowly shaking his head in disapproval. "Chaos doesn't have power to control _that_."

"What do you mean, Guildark?" The voice of the elder, head of the stone city, manifested itself again and without turning away from the other master, the blond-haired man replied.

"Rowan believes that Chaos can take possession of the corrupt power of the Calamity so that it could help it as a weapon of destruction against humanity."

A great commotion settled in the hall before those words and Rowan raised his voice to his maximum, bringing the attention of all members of the council to himself.

"Chaos is a primordial being that accompanies us from the time of creation, its power is vast and extends to the infinite! There is nothing that doesn't bow before its will. To say that Chaos doens't have the strenght to control the Calamity's power is the same as believing that it is powerless to fulfill its own destiny! "

Glancing at Guildark, the red-haired man spoke coldly with a little irony.

"Your blindness has corrupted your good judgment, Guildark, and your so-renowned wisdom seems to have finally left you."

"Perhaps this same blindness is upon all of us." The master replied with equal coldness, and walking slowly through the center of the room, analyzing the other man, he inquired purposefully. "Tell me Rowan, your apprentice ... Can he ever summon the energies of the Lifestream?"

Rowan's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment a quickly shadow of dread crossed his face, imperceptible to the council members, but not to the attentive caramel eyes of the other master, but in the next second it was immediately replaced with a smug look.

"Of course!" He answered firmly, and Guildark stared at him with a knowing look, not at all surprised.

"And you can _guarantee_ that Ellyan will have the strength to control it?"

Proud, Rowan looked him down with contempt.

"Yes, because he is the chosen one!" The cetra master exclaimed aloud. "He's Chaos!"

Guildark closed his eyes and just shook his head in disapproval.

"If this power is so great, I say we must use it!" One of the council members exclaimed.

"We should use it to rebuild this planet." Another said, being rebutted by a third party.

"Why rebuild it? Rowan is right! Chaos must withdraw the Lifestream so it can lead us to the true Promised Land! "

"Have you forgotten the days of horror and suffering that our ancestors lived, by insisting on awakening this same power that decimated them with the vain belief that we can now use it to our advantage?" Guildark's voice again manifested itself over the commotion, his hard words seeking to bring others to the light of reason. "It has no consciousness or limits; it will not bow to Chaos or to you and it will obey nothing, because it cannot be controlled!"

"Nonsense!" Rowan shot again. "Chaos is one of the Ultimate Weapons and the universe itself obeys it, for the destiny of the worlds is in its hands."

"What are we waiting for?! We should take this power now!" Another member exclaimed, and once again a multitude of voices rose together to debate furiously the subject.

The crowd divided itself in half according to the opinions; on the one hand those who wished to use the power for the reconstruction of the planet and on the other side those who wished to use it to finish Gaia's life cycle and return the journey inside the extensive space, but with a single thing in common; both sides agreed to awaken that power.

"For so be it." The Elder declared, striking his staff again on the ground to claim the attention of those present. "We will take this power for us now and then later decide how it will be used."

In the midst of the conversations that dominated the room, the old man watched the circumspect semblance of his second-in-command and addressed him.

"You're displeased."

The blond-haired man nodded.

"If this council could still hear the words of one last advice..." Guildark then looked at Rowan, telling him directly. "If we awaken it, it will destroy us all."

"You're being an ignorant Guildark, insisting on this!" The red-haired man sneered. "Thinking that the greatness of our people will perish in the remnants of a power that is no longer a threat to us! Today we have Chaos on our side!"

The cetra master closed his eyes and breathed deeply, feeling a great sadness fall upon his heart, plunging his spirit into a deep sea of shadows. In silence as he listened to the mixed voices in the room, he meditated on his life and his knowledge, and making his decision he opened his eyes again.

"If my words are no longer able to reach you..." He spoke. "Then I have nothing more to contribute to this council."

Guildark drew an oval medallion from his robe, taking it off his neck; the master held it before him and dropped it on the floor.

The metallic sound echoed through the room which was plunged into an absolutely silence at his gesture; the members of the council observed him mixed in deep astonishment, for that meant abandoning his position on the council and as the second-in-command in the city, abandoning his recognition and reputation and what he had with great effort worked to achieve, but above all, it also meant abandoning his honor.

The golden-haired man raised his face, his caramel eyes watching the crowd with bitterness.

"I will not be conniving with this madness."

His voice echoed clear and solid through the room, and turning around the master walked towards the exit.

"If you walk out of this door you'll be turning your back on us all, Guildark!" Rowan shrieked in a warning that contained a veiled threat.

Stopping at the edge of the entrance, the golden-haired man watched them one last time and said.

"Your greed will be the ruin of our people."

Guildark left the room without looking back.

...

Sitting on a wooden chair Cobe pouted, frowning, and Ifalna laughed.

"Looks like I won the game again." The girl hummed and her younger brother stick out his tongue to her.

"You cheated." He snapped.

"Of course not!" Ifalna spoke and Vincent shook his head with amusement, messing with the boy's golden hair.

"It was a fair win, Cobe."

"Again!" The boy insisted, rearranging the pieces on the table. "This time I'm going to win!"

"Really? It's the fourth time already..." The brown-haired girl said, finding it funny.

"I begin!" Cobe exclaimed, restarting the game.

At this very moment the temple's front door opened abruptly and closed in the next instant quickly and strongly. Surprised, the trio looked in that direction and found Guildark pulling his coat off his shoulders and tossing it on a nearby shelf; the blond-haired man's countenance was serious and circumspect, his caramel eyes filled with an intense shadow. His presence made the whole scene suddenly sink into a terrifying stillness.

They had never seen him like this before.

"Father?" Ifalna broke the silence in a worried voice, rising from her seat "It's everything all right?"

Shaking his head, the master watched them sternly.

"From this day on I don't want you to leave the temple; none of you are allowed to go to the village. Have I made myself clear?"

The three nodded in agreement and Guildark continued down the corridor without saying anything else, disappearing into another room. Vincent and Ifalna looked at each other with apprehension on their faces and Cobe watched them without understanding.

...

With short, quick steps, Vincent followed the cetra master through the corridors of the old temple. The blond-haired man walked hurriedly ahead, guiding him to a destination that was still unknown to him.

"So..." The silver-haired boy decided to break the silence. "Will you tell me where we are going?"

"The time has come." Guildark spoke to him shortly before standing in front of a room, and sliding the wooden door aside he motioned for his apprentice to enter the new location.

Vincent watched the scene with curiosity; despite the years he had spent living in the temple, although he knew the existence of that room, he had never entered it before because it was a place where the master used to meditate alone when he desired peace, quietude and solitude. Though ample, there were only few furnishings at disposal; a wide rug with cushions above it and at the other end, near the wall, a stone altar with a broad red cloak covering a long hidden object lying on its surface.

"Once you used to ask me about the stories and customs of the cetra people." The master told him after a moment. "There's something I haven't told you yet."

Guildark approached the altar and laid his hands on the red cloth.

"When an apprentice is considered ready by his master, mature in his learning, he comes of age and is seen before the people as a guardian, a symbol and reference of peace and balance. This passage is performed by a simple rite where the master presents his apprentice with a sword; the weapon that will accompany him throughout his whole life."

The man turned partially to look at the other.

"This maturity usually occurs when the apprentice is between sixteen and twenty years of age."

Understanding the master's intent, frowning, Vincent asked him.

"Why are you doing this now? I've just completed ten."

Guildark watched him meaningfully, his caramel eyes glimmering intensely.

"Because in my eyes you are ready."

Turning back to the stone altar, the cetra master continued.

"This sword I've ordered a blacksmith to build it on the day of the Ceremony of Passage. In the other reality it was never given to Ellyan... After what happened, this weapon had been lost and only many years later it was found again by a man who used it to cruel purposes, but now I will give it to you."

Guildark grabbed the red cloak and in a single movement he discovered the object entirely; the fabric waved in the breeze and plunged slowly to the floor, completely forgotten.

Vincent's eyes widened in surprise.

"Masamune..." He muttered in disbelief, immediately acknowledging Shinra's General personal weapon.

"Yes... this is its true origin." The master nodded; with both hands he held the weapon still sheathed. "Once corrupted with its blade tinted by the blood of many innocents, it is now in its purest state, for it has never been drawn since the end of its creation."

The apprentice approached a few steps to look at the long sword closely.

"It was said that he was the only one who could use it..." Vincent spoke after a moment of silence.

"This is because this weapon can only be handled by cetra's hands." Guildark revealed to him. "Even though he had no contact with his origins or specific training for this weapon, Sephiroth was able to find out a lot about its use by himself, but not everything."

Frowning, the silver-haired boy stared at the master gravely.

"You want me to keep this?"

"Not only keep." Guildark shook his head. "You will learn how to use it."

Vincent watched him with amazement; still holding the sheath, the master pointed the weapon's hilt to his apprentice and ordered him.

"Draw it."

Slowly the silver-haired boy raised his right hand and his fingers closed around the shaft, feeling it strange and unfamiliar. Pulling the weapon, the silver blade left its sheath for the first time and its long surface gleamed with a gentle, noble and deadly glow, exuding power at the same time as it seemed to contain within, like its new bearer, the promise of salvation and of destruction.

...

Close to the temple, inside the forest, there was a small clearing where Vincent had several times accustomed seeing Guildark staying for long meditation, sitting on the ground as he stared intently at a stone set in the center of the scenario.

It was precisely there that that late afternoon the silver-haired boy found the master.

Watching him from distance, Vincent equally enjoyed the absolute serenity that hung over the clearing, feeling the warm, pleasant breeze of the twilight caress his face. His brown eyes, like the man's, observed the stone with curiosity, only then noticing the carved engravings on its surface in a language he did not know.

"Once I was like you." Guildark's voice broke the silence softly. "An apprentice who was slowly unraveling the secrets in this universe... But the universe is too vast, Vincent, for a single to be able to know everything that exists within it, and I learned a precious lesson that I always keep with me for all moments; this is precisely the reason that makes us always seek constant improvement, because in wanting to know more unconsciously we also seek true wisdom, and the more we learn and understand what is around us, this allows us to become a better person with each passing day."

The golden-haired man stood up.

"This stone is a reminder of this teaching."

Turning to look at the boy, the master gestured for the other to come closer.

"If one day you feel that the shadows have completely covered the face of the world and hope grows small, walking on a thin and fragile line, come back to this place, Vincent, for in this little nook of peace you will remember our conversations and the joyful serene moments you've shared with our family."

Guildark laid a hand on his apprentice's shoulder with a gentle smile on his lips.

"Here you will find the strength to keep moving on."

...

 _Standing in the center of the stone city, he glimpsed the cetra village with its beautiful buildings glistening with the soft touch of the morning sun, wondering why there's no one walking the streets or the avenues once so busy and full of life. Frowning, the boy raised his gaze to the skies and the extremely thin rain that plummeted over the region touched his face in a gentle caress, and widening his eyes he suddenly understood._

 _The planet was crying._

Vincent awoke suddenly, trembling and feeling the air missing in his lungs. Stunned and disoriented, he sat on the bed and his eyes searched the darkness of the room for the reason he had woken up, and in a few seconds the silver-haired boy saw the face of his master in the middle of the shadows.

"Guildark?" He asked in confusion.

"Get your things now, Vincent. Take what's important and what's not, leave it behind. Meet me in front of the temple in ten minutes." The blond-haired man hurried out of the room, leaving the boy staring at the spot where he had been with wide and surprised eyes.

Awakened from his initial torpor, he immediately stood up, dressed in the first garment he found in his closet, and taking only a necklace in the form of a sword and a book, gifts from Cobe and Ifalna for his birthday, he exited the place. In the corridor he met the master's daughter whose beautiful face showed great confusion and drowsiness.

"What is going on?" She inquired in a daze.

"I don't know." Vincent replied, hurrying to the opposite side towards a small open area, and Ifalna followed close at his side.

They stopped in front of the stone balcony, their eyes widened in surprise.

Under the night sky, filled with thick clouds that lay like a dense black cloak making it impossible to see the moon or the stars, in the middle of the dark valley running down the slope of a mountain was a long serpent of fire that in ripples descended its side, cutting the forest in half and slowly advancing towards the stone city.

Ifalna, fully awake, felt her heart clench with sudden dread.

"Cobe!" The girl screamed, running back into the hallway and into her younger brother's room with Vincent following her.

They found Guildark already in the place, picking up his sleepy son on his arms.

"Ifalna take that bag, it's Cobe's things." The master indicated the object next to the cupboard and the girl promptly obeyed the command.

The golden-haired man left the room quickly, proceeding through the corridor and down the stairs to the ground floor, being closely followed by his daughter and his apprentice.

"It's happening sooner than I expected." He spoke to them gravely. "Hurry, we don't have much time!"

Guildark within a few seconds reached the temple's entrance, and in front of the wooden staircase the group came across two mounts ready to leave with bags of provisions arranged on its sides; in one of them Masamune was trapped, resting inside its long sheath next to another smaller blade of equally thin and slightly curved, and Vincent stopped at the edge of the door with a face mixed in disbelief and understanding.

"You are not coming with us." He spoke as a statement.

Placing Cobe on one of the mounts, the cetra master shook his head.

"I still have things to do here."

Ifalna stared at her father with utter horror in her face as he easily lifted her, placing her on the mount with her younger brother.

Desperately the girl clasped his neck tightly.

"You must come with us, father! Please come with us!" She exclaimed fearfully and Guildark gently pushed her away from him and stroked her hair tenderly, kissing her face and his son's, who still sleepy didn't quite understand yet what was happening.

"I love you both." The man told them, and turning to his apprentice he also held him up and placed him on the second mount, fastening the reins of the first in the saddle of the second, so that it could easily followed the other.

"Guildark..." Vincent began, but the master interrupted it, embracing him.

"Go to my home through the forest in the opposite direction, you know the way." Guildark whispered in his ear. "Don't look back, Vincent, and don't stop until you get there."

Suddenly breaking the contact and they both gazed into each other's eyes for a brief moment; the golden-haired man struck the mount and it immediately began to speed away into the forest, disappearing in a few seconds into the darkness of the night.


	7. Act I - Downfall

Greetings! With this chapter we finally reach the end of the first part of my story. One of the things I always asked myself out of curiosity was what happened to the Cetra people to bring them to the point of complete destruction, so that Final Fantasy VII would only introduce us Ifalna and Aerith as the only survivors of this once noble and numerous race. These six introductory chapters were my attempt to explain this, following the context of my project; I hope it was a convincing background.

When writing the last scenes of this chapter I was listening to the song " _The Promised Land_ " of FFVII: Advent Children Soundtrack; if you wish to do the same I highly recommend it, for I believe it gives a nice touch to this closure; you may start playing it after the symbol (~ † ~).

I also have not forgotten about Vincent's guns, soon he will start using it again, all in the right time :) About Grimoire I think he is an interesting character that presents several possibilities to work with, I may say that the very breakthrough of science today actually becomes an inspiration to write the scenes in which he will be part of.

And once again, thank you for reading and I hope you like it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 _"All I know is…The Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet, and unlock the Planet. And... then..._

 _The Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises supreme happiness…"_

Aerith Gainsborough - Final Fantasy VII

†

 **Downfall**

Great commotion was established in the streets and avenues of the stone city; after the guards had seen the serpent of fire crossing the valley towards the village, the alarm was sounded in great trumpets that echoed with magnificence through the place, immediately awakening the Cetra citizens who began to gradually leave their houses to seek the reason of the call.

Men, women, children and old; all remnants of the noble and ancient civilization, spread through the passages between the buildings and as one raised their faces to look at the mountains. The adults countenance were mixed with awe, while the little ones showed childish confusion and some even an expression of fear. Silence fell upon the city, an instant where nothing was said or thought; they only observed the colossal flames that snaked in waves among the valley's trees, swallowing them in its golden flames.

A nocturnal bird of prey ripped the night sky over the region, its sharp call reverberating through the city and awakening the inhabitants of their temporary torpor. Several voices rose, inquiring each other the meaning of that strange sight, and from the village's main building the chief appeared through the entrance's large double doors, and mingling with the people in the central square the old man also watched the mountains with a shadow of concern in his gaze.

"But... What's happening?!" He exclaimed in disbelief.

"Sir!" One of the guards ran to him and bowed slightly. "We noticed it a short time ago! It came out of nowhere in the darkness of the valley and is moving fast towards the city!"

"What is that?" The old man inquired and the other shook his head.

"We don't know, sir."

Before the chief could say anything further the village's entrance gates opened and a mount swiftly crossed the barrier coming to the central square, and recognizing the knight's identity the people immediately moved away to the sides of the avenue to open him passage, and as he advanced the crowd followed him in pursuit, gathering at the center of the city. The elder, seeing the other man return to the village at that moment after so many days of estrangement, cannot help but feel a sense of relief and contentment in his heart and immediately set out to meet him.

Guildark stopped in the middle of the square and dismounted; the blond-haired master wore the beautiful black robe with the silver carvings engraved on the dark cloth he used to wear on important occasions, and now it was also covered by some pieces of armor. There were two swords attached to the saddle of the mount, and his grave, austere countenance brought a new shadow of concern to the old man.

He seemed to be prepared for war.

"We need to leave this city immediately!" The master spoke out loud that echoed clearly to everyone by the silence that had settled in the square.

The people watched him in surprise and fear; a fear that began to set in their hearts and paralyzed them completely as the words of the master did nothing to make them move. They were petrified where they stood.

"The evil that is about to fall upon us cannot be stopped or fought!" Guildark went on sternly, watching them. "Quickly, get what you have of most precious and leave everything unnecessary behind! We have no time to waste!"

"This man is mad!" A second voice made itself loud and Rowan emerged from the crowd and walked to the center of the square, his face turned to contempt. "How dare you to show up here again after what you did?!"

Pointing at him his finger, the red-haired master exclaimed.

"He is no longer one of us! Immersed in his madness and reveries he has abandoned his position in the council and as the second-in-command of the village and his own honor! He is no longer a master and his words are not creditable of truthfulness! You must not listen to someone who has given us their back!"

Several exclamations of shock rose among the people who stared at Guildark with astonishment and disbelief.

Pointing to the mountain, Rowan went on.

"This is not a threat to us, but the return of the expedition sent to North Crater! Contemplate the return of Chaos with the key that will take us to the Promised Land!"

"We don't have time to waste on your stupid and ignorant ramblings, Rowan!" The blond-haired man thundered over the other and his body quivered with partially contained fury.

The other master's eyes widened and he instinctively retreated several steps and a shadow of fear crossed his face for a brief moment, for he had never seen the man like that, but his pride made him rise again and traces of hatred dominated his black eyes and he glared at the other's back, who quickly walked over to the villagers and began pushing them hard towards the houses to force them to awaken from their astonishment.

"Hurry! Hurry!" The blond-haired man insisted and some people hurriedly started to return to their homes, obeying the master's command.

Rowan's gaze fell on the swords attached to Guildark's mount and the red-haired man was overwhelmed by sudden fury. He stepped forward, took one of the weapons for himself and advanced towards the other master.

"What are you doing, Rowan?!" The head of the village exclaimed with alarm and the golden-haired man turned around.

"You will not stop our people from regaining their glory!"

The master attacked, striking with his sword and in a single quick and precise movement Guildark dodged to the side, avoiding the blade and disarmed the opponent; with all his strength concentrated in his right fist he punched Rowan's face; the red-haired man was thrown back hard and fell on the ground with his face turned into a pool of blood certainly with a broken nose. He bellowed in pain and the golden-haired master stared at him coldly, not at all regretful.

At this moment severe exclamations of dread manifested in the crowd; great columns of fire suddenly rose beyond the protective walls and scattered around the stone city in a fence of flames that quickly dominated the entire outer area of the village, also rising to the heavens like a thick cloud of black smoke.

They were completely surrounded.

Guildark closed his eyes.

"It's too late now."

...

As soon as they reached the small house hidden inside the dense vegetation, Vincent helped Cobe and Ifalna dismount and led them into the place; while the golden-haired boy allowed himself to be easily led, still partially asleep, the twelve-year-old girl was crying silently as she walked trembling.

With a circumspect countenance and indecipherable gaze, Vincent aided Ifalna sit on a chair and carried Cobe to one of the rooms, placing him on the bed.

The master's son half opened his lids and drowsy he inquired in confusion.

"Vincent ...?"

The silver-haired boy nodded and caressed the other's face.

"It's all right now, Cobe ... Go back to sleep." He spoke managing to hide the bitterness in his voice.

Cobe laid his head on the pillow and in a few seconds he fell asleep again.

Leaving the room hastily and also the house, Vincent unloaded the mounts and took the bags and Masamune into the residence and left everything in a corner. His eyes then rested on Ifalna, and seeing the girl so frail he was moved with grief.

Approaching, Vincent embraced her and she leaned her head on his shoulder and cried.

"Ifalna..." He called her softly after a moment, pulling away partially to watch her.

With reddened face and tearful green eyes the girl found his gaze only for in the next instant to fall on the things that he had brought in; she immediately realized that one of the swords Vincent hadn't brought inside and she stared at the other with horrified comprehension immediately falling on her face.

"Vincent..."

He shook his head.

"I will not leave your father behind." He told her softly, but his tone was resolute. "You and Cobe stay here and take care."

Ifalna held his hands as tightly as if she were holding her own life.

"Promise me..." She said in a choked voice. "Promise me you will come back."

Nodding, he agreed.

"I promise."

Rising, he gently broke the contact between them and left the house; taking one of the mounts for himself, Vincent left for the city at great speed.

...

Immediately awakened from their stupor the crowd panic and chaos settled in the streets of the city; seeking to bring order the cetra master moved, adopting a different strategy. Guildark took the fallen sword that Rowan had used and threw it to another master next to him and approaching his mount the blond-haired man took the second blade for himself.

"Any man who has the strength to hold a weapon, follow me!" He commanded, his voice rising above the commotion. "Women, children and old take shelter inside the main temple!"

His solid, austere voice made people look at him, recognizing the wise leader who for many years had been beside the elder in command of the village. The guardian soldiers promptly obeyed him and the common citizens gradually joined the master to answer his call, though in their countenances fear prevailed over their faces with sovereignty.

The fiber women who quickly understood Guildark's request began to gather their similar, the old and the children in the center of the central square and quickly led them in a single, orderly line towards the main temple; on the streets and avenues only the men stayed.

Running towards the entrance, the blond-haired man shouted at the soldiers ahead.

"Lock the gates! Keep them out of the city as much as you can!"

The guards stared at him, the light of the flames devouring the surrounding area gleamed in their eyes, overcome with fear and astonishment, and even without fully understanding what had happened they moved obeying the master's command. With the gates closed they started to trigger the mechanism that would seal the entrance completely.

Those who had nothing in their hands hurried to the city's military warehouses and took whatever weapon they could find within reach, and spreading through the streets the group of men watched the gates with an increasing sense of terror filling their hearts; silence dominated scenery altogether as they nervously watched the entrance being locked, but before it could be completed a loud crash echoed violently breaking the silence of the night, and the gates and side walls exploded, collapsing fully.

The guards above the watchtowers were hurled out of the stone structure that came down, and they fell being buried by the wreck as the men standing by the gates sealing them; their bodies were torn by the pieces of wood and enveloped by the flames that entered the city through the destroyed passage.

Accustomed only to the long years of peace and anonymity, living hidden in the forests of that continent, the horrified eyes of those in the streets observed what happened to their acquaintances, friends and brothers without being able to react immediately.

Guildark took the lead of the group; his grim countenance and his attentive eyes gazing intently into the sea of flames, and from the center of the fire, untouched by it, came forward a small group of warriors and boys, apprentices from masters of the village. They slowly walked into the city and stopped a few meters after the destroyed entrance.

Standing in the front, leading them, was Ellyan, carrying a large package wrapped in dark cloths in one of his arms; the ten-year-old boy, as well as all those who accompanied him, were clearly changed.

"Ellyan!" The head of the village exclaimed, coming out of the crowd and approaching the one who had been considered the chosen of his people; Guildark tried to stop him, but the old man didn't allow it. With watery eyes, overcome with disbelief and distress, as if he still couldn't fully assimilate what was happening, he inquired of the other. "Why... Ellyan? Why are you doing this?!"

The old man placed his trembling hands on the boy's shoulder who only closed his eyes.

"You are our savior!"

In an extremely quick movement, unpredictable to anyone, Ellyan drew his sword and lifted it, cutting the air abruptly. Pointing the weapon to the skies a trickle of blood ran down the length of the silver blade; the old man's body plummeted and his head rolled across the ground.

Petrified, the men watched their leader fall with disbelieving and horrified faces; Ellyan opened his eyes and his dark gaze was charged with an intense, ancestral evil, something so malignant that it surely didn't belong in that world. The silver-haired boy watched the audience before him, and a cold, twisted smile flashed across his lips.

"Finally, after so long... We are reunited." He said slowly. "I came to bring you a gift..."

Finding out the wrapping he carried, to the repulsion and disturbance of the people, Ellyan held out a pair of dark-skinned amputated arms with clawed hands with long, sharp fingernails whose wound at the top constantly spilled a black, corrupt blood and Guildark was sure that his old apprentice had ripped them out of the Calamity at North Crater.

Ellyan tilted his head to the side and without diverting his attention from the crowd, inquired softly to those who accompanied him.

"Shall we give them despair?"

In a silent command the group immediately advanced together like ghosts carrying only death, their black robes fluttering in the breeze of flames and fire rising around the city like a violent storm. They drew their weapons and invaded the front row of men that formed the first defense barrier, their blades falling over their heads and live blood spurted.

Guildark shouted the commands, arranging the ranks to stop the invaders, but these were endowed with a supernatural force and to each one they were able to slaughter, ten cetras warriors perished under the blade of their weapons. The enemies advanced slowly and unhurriedly, breaking one by one the ranks of warriors and forcing them to retreat towards the central square, seeming to take pleasure in the pain and suffering that filled the air.

The flames that only surrounded the walls of the stone city now seemed to accompany the invaders, following them through the streets and avenues, spreading over the buildings and burning everything it touched.

The blond-haired man met in confrontation with one of the warriors who had accompanied the expedition towards the icy region, their swords encountered in the air several times in violent sequences; in a movement where he was able to overpower his opponent, the master sank his blade into the other's chest and black blood spurted in abundance, staining the handle of his sword and his hands.

With a shove he threw the defeated opponent to the ground, his caramel eyes stared at the corrupted liquid with disgust and trepidation.

"The virus..." he said, but before he could do anything else Guildark realized he was being watched.

Raising his head the master found his old apprentice standing just a few paces away.

"Ellyan..."

"Guildark... It is your name." The boy... No, the creature replied, for those blue eyes filled with a perverse glow no longer were the same as those of the proud and arrogant boy he had known.

It walked slowly through the stone square, watching him intently as the chaos fell on the city around them both; Guildark held his sword firmly, his caramel eyes stern and wary.

"This boy's memories of you are interesting..." The silver-haired boy spoke suddenly. "He admired you, you know, but your choice for his younger brother made him develop a deep hatred against you."

The creature seemed to delight in those words, enjoying the dark feeling cultivated in that heart, and suddenly giving a loud and sarcastic laugh, it went on.

"I have received a call greater than this foolishness of Chaos reincarnation... The mission to destroy everything that exists on this planet ..." Stopping completely in the center of the square, those evil blue eyes fixed on the master. "First you, the cetra, now... And then they, the humanity... As weak and fragile as a glass chalice..."

With the same cynical smile playing on his lips, it added.

"When the flames of destruction rise and dominate this world completely, I will amuse myself in watching them burn until the last of their offspring perish."

Guildark pointed his sword at his opponent and countered coldly.

"It may even be today that we are destroyed and that the legacy of our noble people will come to an end now... but not humans. They still have the key of hope for the future."

"You're mistaken ..." The silver-haired boy shook his head slowly. "There will always be one among them who will fall and be corrupted... and when this happens ..."

The creature smiled.

"I will destroy them all."

In a swift movement he threw a fire magic with the aid of a materia and the column of flames advanced against the man who had dodged to the side, avoiding the first thrust. Guildark stepped forward, raising his sword and struck a blow against his opponent and the creature received it readily; their weapons were engaged in a sequence of violent attacks while the combatants threw their swords against each other.

The master used all the physical strength he possessed in the blows, but the silver-haired boy defended himself easily and never taking the smile of debauchery off his face.

The creature instantly blocked one of the man's attacks and again conjured up the magic of fire, but Guildark broke the flames in half with a precise stroke of his sword before the column could even rose again to the heavens, and when his sword came down to find his opponent on the other side of the fire wall, the silver blade found the empty air, without any sign of the boy.

A sudden agonizing pain enveloped his right arm, and the master almost didn't managed to dodge the second attack of his opponent, raising his weapon to block the third thrust. He used his left hand to help him hold the weight of the blade against the other as he felt the broken tendon in his right hand weaken completely his force to hold the weapon steady; Ellyan's face rose from the flames and at this moment Guildark felt the presence of a second opponent approaching them.

With a jerk and a kick he pushed the creature away from him just as the other attacked, and the spear it carried pierced his left leg, crossing through it completely. Guildark shouted, turning his sword down on the second man without hesitation and the blade tinged with black blood as it broke in the opponent's middle with a long vertical cut.

The master lost his balance and fell to his knees; his right arm, with no more strength, against his will dropped his weapon on the ground.

The creature charged against him and with its sword, stabbed the man from behind on his back.

Guildark's eyes widened; the scream caught in his throat and the air lacked in his lungs, pierced by the massive pain that invaded his body. His strength immediately left him and the metallic taste of blood rushed into his mouth and flowed steady through the side of his lips.

The silver-haired boy laughed with amusement.

"I never said I would play fair."

The golden-haired man raised his face, his caramel eyes staring in horror at the city completely overrun by the flames and the destruction left in its awake, watching his friends and brothers being one by one killed by the ghosts advancing across the square.

The creature knelt beside him and spoke into his ear in a whisper audible only to him.

"Don't worry, Guildark ... You'll still live for a few more moments only to see them all fall."

Turning the sword blade the creature abruptly removed it, and completely surrendered to the wound Guildark fell to the ground and his face covered with dust, sweat and blood lay on the square. Tears slid down his face when he saw all the men who were on the streets being completely subdued by the invaders; some perishing by the attacks and others who were completely dominated by that black blood that entered their wounds and transformed them, only to join the enemy grouping that after having taken over the city completely they also destroyed the entrance door of the main temple and entered the building.

One by one the women, the old and the children were dragged out by the hair or arms and their cries of horror and suffering rose as the swords began to descend upon their heads.

Guildark felt his heart break; his eyes stared at the silver-haired boy watching the scene with delight standing a few paces away from him, and with his few remaining strength the man silently prayed in a silent plea to the planet, begging one last time for it to hear him.

And in response to his plea the master saw a greenish stream of the Lifestream rise from the ground and surrounded the creature who stared in amazement at the manifestation of the pure energies of the planet; it transformed in middle air, becoming a spectral spear and the Lifestream advanced against the creature and pierced its body hard. The silver-haired boy was hurled for several meters away and fell to the ground completely inert.

When no man, or woman or old or child remained standing in the city; the remnants of the spectral warriors then raised their swords against themselves and fell before the blades; their corrupted black blood mingled with the living red that tinted the square.

~ † ~

When dawn came, expanding on the skies over the region and clearing the vast celestial mantle, the beams of light from the sun broke the thick layers of clouds like spears descending over the earth, bathing the city of stone with its pale touch.

Vincent, as he entered the ruins, walking slowly down the main street, he didn't pay attention on the buildings that had fallen into rubble, not he watched the various forms thrown by the road of men and women whose bodies were decimated and unrecognizable, victims of the violent confrontation, and he didn't stop to observe the chaos and destruction left behind in his path, deeply tinged by the blood that stained the ground and by the strong odor of ash and death that permeated the air.

His eyes could see only a single fallen form in the center of the central square, recognizing from afar the beautiful black robe with the silver carvings engraved on the dark cloth, the same one he had worn on the day they first met at the Ceremony of Passage.

Falling to his knees beside the master, the silver-haired boy wrapped his arm around his shoulders, pulled the man to him, and the master stirred. His cloak was utterly shattered, dyed full of the blood gushing abundantly from the severe cuts his body sustained and from the deep wound on his chest where a sword had trespassed it; his long blond hair, dirty with dust and sweat was embarrassed and his aristocratic face was as pale as the ashes that gently fell around them both.

"Vincent..." Guildark called him softly in a whisper so weak it was almost inaudible.

"I'm here, Guildark." The apprentice answered in the same tone.

"Stubborn ..." The man coughed and a trickle of fresh blood trickled down the corner of his lips that showed a faint smile. "I knew you would come anyway ..."

Vincent didn't answer; trembling he watched the current state of the master knowing full well that the man was beyond the point of salvation and his heart clenched, feeling weak and powerless. He lifted his face, staring at the ruined city and the lifeless bodies of the remaining cetras, the last of their race and he closed his eyes and a tear trickled down the side of his face.

"Do not grieve, Vincent..." Guildark whispered to him and the boy looked at the master again. "We were damned from the beginning ..."

With one last effort the man caught one of his trembling hands; his touch was firm but at the same time soft and cold.

"There is still hope ... For the world ..." He told him. "I trust your hands ... Our future."

"Guildark ..." Vincent whispered and the man turned his attention away from him to raise his gaze to the heavens.

"We were blind..."

Guildark watched the clouds open and the sun beginning to dawn on the distant high peaks, his caramel eyes clouded and a tear trickled down the side of his face.

"This has always been ... Our Promised Land ..."

Vincent closed his eyes and embraced the master tightly just as he felt him go. The earth began to tremble and a terrifying force awakened within him; the boy's body was enveloped by a strong red aura that expanded around both with great magnitude.

Reacting to that unconscious call, filled with pain and mourning, the Lifestream that formed the foundations of that ancestral city, corrupted by carnage and destruction, sprang up abundantly from the ground like the source of a black river and rose to the top in a great accumulation, the energy tetrarch swirling in spirals over the city hovering above him like a sea of furious waves crashing against each other with violence.

Everything that had once formed the cetra village, the buildings, the bodies of the inhabitants forgotten on the ground, the trail of destruction, the little divine essence that remained there remnant of the time when the noble civilization still managed to connect to the universe, everything fell apart when touched by the corrupted energies that surrounded Chaos as if waiting to obey his command.

Vincent opened his eyes, yellow as gold, and touching the face of the man who had been his friend his hands with long and claw-like nails were filled by a soft, translucent light that spread through the golden-haired man's body, making him gleam with great force. And it was at this moment that Guildark's form slowly began to unravel in his arms in streams of green light that joined the corrupted Lifestream and spread, turning the black energy into pure once again.

And when the Lifestream became pure in its entirety, hovering over the sprawling spot like a calm and serene sea, Vincent, completely weakened, felt his power recede into himself again and fall back asleep; the intense red aura left his body and he fell unconscious on the ground as around him the translucent energies began to plummet like a calm rain returning to the planet, touching the vegetation in a faint caress and turning the plants and trees into white as the snow that began to slowly descend across the entire region.

...

Just as when he had succumbed to unconsciousness when his power had manifested itself in the past with a magnitude as though it would rip him apart, Vincent once again felt himself being led into that black, vast and serene world through which he wandered about what seemed to be for a long time.

He couldn't tell exactly whether minutes, hours, or even days had passed, but at a certain moment in that place he began to become aware of his body again, and as he awoke the memories of what had happened come back again like a burden upon his heart, saddening him deeply.

He felt someone call him several times, shaking him insistently to force him to wake; it was a voice at first distant but strangely familiar, and opening his eyes Vincent found himself looking at the face of someone he had never thought he would see again.

Kneeling beside him in the snow Grimoire Valentine watched him in concern with the same wise and gentle crimson eyes as he remembered.

"Boy! What are you doing here like this?! Are you okay?!"

Recognizing his voice completely Vincent cried, unable to say a word; and even without understanding the reasons for the sadness that the other felt, moved, the scientist embraced him.


	8. Act II - Rebirth

Greetings! With this chapter we'll give start the second part of my story. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Rebirth**

He was well now; warm with normalized pulse, slightly rose-colored skin, temperature within the standard and eyes that showed attention and focus.

Grimoire frowned at the complete enigma sitting before him.

The mysterious silver-haired boy he found unconscious in the snowstorm was sitting in a chair wrapped in thick layers of warm blankets and wearing loose clothing that was too large for him, improvised by the scientist. With his head down he devoured a plate of soup with the hunger of someone who appeared that hadn't seen food for a long time.

As soon as the black-haired man had found him he had carried the boy back to his research station, a small hut he had set up in that inhospitable region for a few days to serve as shelter for the time he would spend in that continent, looking for traces of the ancient civilization that in the past had lived on that planet.

He didn't expect that instead of traces he would find someone _alive_.

The child had not said a word out there and the scientist didn't pressed, deciding to take care of him first until he was well before attempting a new approach, and realizing that the initial shock had finally passed, Grimoire, standing near the table, slowly decided to start breaking the silence.

"You... can you understand what I'm saying?" He asked him first. "Can you understand my language?"

The boy watched the man; his brown eyes stared at him with a look so intense and deep that inexplicably the scientist felt intrigued and at the same time unsettled.

Vincent after a moment nodded his head in response.

With this certainty, Grimoire then seated down in the second chair and questioned softly.

"What's your name?"

The silver-haired boy looked away and observed the table and the empty plate; the words of the distant conversation he had with Guildark about his true past came back to him and Vincent closed his eyes. While sorrow struck him with the remembrance of his friend's death, he pondered the actual circumstances and thought that it wouldn't be wise to reveal to his father at that moment all he knew about Chaos and the cetra people. It was with some internal bitterness that he decided to lie to the other man about his origin, and he gave the same answer that he had probably given the scientist in the other reality.

"I don't know..." He finally answered in a scraped voice. "I cannot remember..."

The black-haired man frowned with sudden concern; had he hit his head hard to cause some temporary memory loss? He hadn't taken such a thorough examination for not having found any signs of injury, but the possibility was troubling and he would have to perform a thorough analysis to find the real causes of oblivion.

"Can't you remember anything?" Grimoire insisted. "Not even where you were before you woke?"

The boy shook his head and asked.

"And where are we now?"

"In a region of the icy alps called Icicle, on the mainland to the far north." Grimoire replied. "Doesn't that name sound familiar?"

Again Vincent denied it.

"I don't know where that is."

Nodding to himself the black-haired man ran his hand over his face, extremely thoughtful, and Vincent watched him for a long moment in silence.

It seemed surreal, to see his father sitting before him again after the many things that had happened; it was as if no time had passed since his teenage years and they were together again enjoying each other's company in the living room or the kitchen, until the brilliant scientist soon found himself immersed in ramblings and theories of the projects he so diligently researched, often even distracting himself from his current conversation with his son to be led by the thoughts of the intriguing secrets the universe entailed.

His heart tightened in longing for the other man's presence and only then did Vincent really realize how much he'd missed him.

Grimoire blinked, returning to the present, and his crimson eyes stared back at him.

"Don't worry boy." He said at last. "This must be because of the shock. It is likely that soon your memories will begin to return as you get better."

The boy nodded slowly and after a brief moment he admitted in a low voice.

"I have nowhere to go."

The man looked at him sympathetically; standing he approached the other and put both his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"You'll stay here with me."

...

Grimoire frowned gravely in front of his computer screen.

The blood sample he'd collected from the silver-haired boy had finally been fully analyzed and now the results blinked insistently before his eyes, showing a genetic code he had never seen before in any living being in Gaia; formed by spirals of complex combinations in a sequence of chains, it carried information in a series of atypical letters that completely modified the way the primary structure of the DNA and all its compound was presented.

The scientist immediately stood and went to a bookshelf, took out several notebooks he had made over the years and spread them on the table. Opening several at the same time on specific pages, as he read and compared the contents with his recent findings, the dark-haired man widened his eyes with disbelief and astonishment.

"This... It can't be... It's impossible ... They're all extinct..." He whispered incredulously, but the calculations performed by the machine were extremely accurate and correct, matching completely with his old notes and researches.

It meant that he had not only found a trace, but a real remnant of the cetra people.

...

Considered an inhospitable region devoid of any kind of civilization, that scenario at the same time presented itself as a wide fertile field for those who dedicated their lives to research and science, with varieties of curious plants and even animals. It was during the recent years under the monitoring of Shinra's Science Department, which under the president's orders had been studying the possibility of installing a Mako reactor in the locality, but that was not the main motivation that led the scientist to come to that continent at that time.

During his research he always believed that the place might have some sort of relationship with the ancient cetra civilization, and although he had already conducted some fieldwork in the area, he had never been able to find any clue or sign that could prove that that people had actually lived there sometime in the past.

 _At least not until now..._

Grimoire frowned at the thought of the silver-haired boy and the unexpected discovery of his origin as he surveyed the dense forest stretching before him.

When he had arrived at the mountains of Icicle, the neighboring vegetation of the small forest region showed by far the green and bulky canopies of its leafy trees, then suddenly one day at first in the morning the place was mysteriously enveloped by strong climate movement; his equipment at the research station didn't stop whistling during the short minutes and were unable to explain what had caused the storm, but as he left the hut the scientist was startled to see snow falling above the vegetation that slowly turned white before his eyes when touched by the frozen flakes.

He had never seen such a phenomenon in his life before.

The trees lost their leaves and canopies and their trunks acquired an almost crystalline white tone, emitting a soft pale light that was capable of totally illuminating the tortuous tracks amidst them. His hands touched one of the branches' surfaces with curiosity; it was a piece he would take with him for deep study at the research station.

Grimoire advanced into the forest; he was determined to find more information about the cetra and the boy, observing everything, making some notes in his notebook and what he believed to be of some relevance he took samples and stored it in the backpack that he carried in his back. There was a moment when he found a considerable plain in the middle of the chain of mountains and valleys, which in an open field it was completely deserted of trees or signs of living beings; only a soft semi-transparent lawn covered its length and the grass swayed gently with the breeze of the icy wind. Even with the snow having stopped falling a few hours ago, the cold remained as intense as it was in the Icicle region.

Retroceding, taking the decision to dive back into the forest, the black-haired man followed another route through the trees on a sort of trail that he found by chance as he scoured the edges of the plain. The new passage led him up through hill to a wide clearing that revealed a beautiful view of the valley, and it was at this moment that Grimoire stopped in complete surprise.

In the center of the clearing stood a temple.

It was a beautiful building, made of noble wood and had two floors; its structure was covered with snow and apparently was completely abandoned. It caught him unaware; although he searched for traces of housing he didn't really expect to find such a building in that place. Grimoire waited a few minutes in silence, watching the temple from a distance, and realizing that no type of light emanated from inside and that the building also showed no sign of movement during that time, the scientist approached and entered the place.

Slowly the dark-haired man walked down the hall, visiting the inner rooms; he called out aloud and his voice echoed through the building without receiving any response. He saw that some rooms were in order, while others, some dormitories upstairs, were as untidy as if the inhabitants of the residence had left the place in a hurry.

Frowning, intrigued, Grimoire returned to the ground floor and followed another passage; he found what appeared to be a small religious shrine with curious artifacts and objects bearing symbols of what appeared to be an ancient dialect, from which his profound studies of the cetra people enabled him to recognize some of the letters that were there carved.

The scientist's crimson eyes fell on an old, partially ripped parchment that was lying on the wooden floor in the center of the room, and as he knelt down, he took the object in his hands and his eyes widened when he saw a fragment of text written in the common language.

 _"... Soul wrought of terra corrupt..."_

...

"You seem worried." The boy remarked after observing the man lost in thought for several minutes without him noticing his presence.

Grimoire jumped in the chair and his surprised look immediately fell on the other.

"It's everything all right?" Vincent inquired slowly and the black-haired man nodded absently.

"I'm just with my head dipped in some of projects of mine..." He replied, turning to look at the boy completely.

Vincent stepped inside; it was a makeshift temporary room with a neat bed, a bookcase with several books, a table with a pile of papers and scribbled scraps spread over it and a squib with a computer ready and a chair next to it where the scientist was seated at that moment. Watching the titles on the shelf the boy inquired curiously, though he already knew the answer he would receive from the other.

"What do you work with?"

"I'm a scientist." The black-haired man replied. "Do you know what this is, boy?"

"No." He pretended, shaking his head.

"A scientist is a person who works through systematic activities to gain knowledge." Laughing softly at his own difficult words, the man tried to elaborate to better explain to the boy. "This means that everything in this world can be studied through organized methods, we conduct research on the most varied things in order to achieve a clearer and more complex understanding of nature, including the physical, mathematical and social dimension of the environment or object analyzed."

Vincent smiled amused; he had never cared for his father's work before, he had always found it rather complicated and tedious when the black-haired man spoke aloud the infinite characteristics of his research in such specific terms that he usually didn't understood a thing about what he told him.

"Sounds boring." He commented and Grimoire couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Maybe, sometimes." The scientist agreed.

Grimoire then motioned for the other to approach him and when he did the man hold him by his shoulders and watched him; the boy had been in the research station for some days now and his companionship presented itself as strangely pleasant to him, as if they had known each other for a long time…

The scientist frowned.

"I... I cannot keep calling you 'boy' all the time now, isn't..." He told him softly.

The silver-haired boy stared at him in surprise and suddenly that moment between them both seemed very familiar; from the depths of his old fragmented memories he was able to vaguely remember that event.

"I'll call you Vincent..." The scientist spoke, watching him and nodded to himself satisfied; it was a name that seemed to match with the boy before him. He also added. "At least until you recover your memories and you can tell me what your real name is."

The silver-haired boy nodded in agreement not being able to utter any words, feeling internally moved by the memory mingled with the present moment.

"Vincent." Grimoire repeated and smiled.

...

 _Chaos..._ He thought, frowning.

Although the theory of the creation of the universe by the cetra was still an extremely poorly explored subject, Grimoire had already found in ancient writings references to Chaos and Omega and their importance in the role of driving the Lifestream to the birth of the planet Gaia, all they having relations with the ancestral civilization.

 _Soul wrought of terra corrupt, quelling impurity... A soul... A being... Made of the corrupted Lifestream and capable of dominating its corruptness..._

If possible, the scientist's face seemed to grow even more serious; his crimson eyes peered at the paper before him, deeply immersed in his thoughts.

 _Purging the stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate... A being able to control the Lifestream, commanding it to fulfill an inevitable destiny..._

Chaos could be considered a creature that had been alive at the moment of raising the foundations that gave life to the planet, but completely nonexistent for millennia since its supposed purpose had been fulfilled... But was this really its only purpose? Examining the words of the parchment, Grimoire inquired as to how to fulfill a fate that is yet to come if Chaos no longer exists? How to control the Lifestream's fluids without having a physical body shape to boost this command? It would be something impossible and completely illogical, unless...

Grimoire looked up at his computer screen.

 _Unless Chaos... Had become a living being again... Reborn in that world..._

That... could be possible, if the universe so desired it to fulfill the destiny that is inevitable. The scientist ran a hand over his face. Even supposing that to happen, how could a being with the power of creation be able to return? It was not any genetic physical construct that would be able to withstand such force; it could not be reborn as any being or even as a human.

 _But what about a cetra...?_ His mind suddenly suggested to him like a casual whisper that made the man freeze.

 _Made of the corrupted Lifestream, capable of dominating its corruptness and able to control the Lifestream to fulfill its will…_

The scientist had previously noted how the Lifestream manifested itself differently in the components that made the sample of blood he had collected early from the boy, acting as a source of energy not as pure as that of humans in general, but different ... wrong. .. _corrupted_ … as well as the sample he had taken from the tissues to analyze the construction of the physical body which had a dynamism that was striking and totally different from anything he had ever seen before.

They said that science would be the enlightenment for a world that sought concrete answers to everything that existed, and science had gave him the answer he sought for this enigma.

Shocked, motionless where he was sitting in his room, Grimoire let the parchment fall from his hands as the realization of the present gravity slowly showed on his countenance.

...

"You really are a workaholic, aren't you, Grimoire?" His boss and friend laughed on the other end of the phone. "Only yourself to decide to conduct research on Icicle at this time of the year where the months are usually colder."

"I cannot help it; is all in a day's work." Grimoire laughed lightly, running his hand over his head.

"I just want to make it clear that this was your idea." The other man continued in a humorous voice. "If they ask me why my employee had to stop working because he had a sudden hypothermia crisis, I will say that you have voluntarily decided to spend a vacation time in the icy mountains so they will not see me as a boss who is enslaving you with inhuman tasks."

"You, enslaving me?" The black-haired man asked, extremely amused. "Gast, as far as I remember, it's you who keeps insisting that I leave work early."

"You don't want to stop working!" The biologist spoke on his defense.

Grimoire laughed, nodding to himself.

"Alright, it's settled then."

 _"_ So..." The other continued sober. "When are you coming back to Midgar?"

The scientist frowned; sitting in the middle of his room, he stared at the open books and the computer showing the data of his current research concerning the silver-haired boy and his countenance acquired great seriousness.

"I'm sorry, my friend... It will take a little longer than I first intended... I'm in the middle of something now."

"I understand." Gast retorted. "Take the time you need to finish your project on Icicle, Grimoire, just take care and be sure to send news, right?"

"Of course..." The black-haired man nodded, watching the words of the parchment he had found in the ancient cetra temple. "I'll keep in touch..."

...

Standing at the entrance to the room, leaning against the door, Grimoire stared at the silver-haired boy in silence for a long time; Vincent was fast asleep in that moment in his bed wrapped in thick winter covers and unaware of the scientist's presence.

Grimoire put a hand to his face and his crimson eyes did not hide the traces of the worry that abated his spirit; he had redone all the possible tests on the samples he held and all of them only confirmed his deductions again.

 _Your real name... Is Chaos._

He inquired how a mere child could carry with him such a heavy burden, completely unaware of his real importance to the world and the gravity of his present situation.

As much as he was a personal friend of the current head of Shinra's Science Department and Gast was an admirable person, what he had told Vincent before was true; not all of his colleagues were good people. If they had the opportunity to have that knowledge and put their hands on the boy, he couldn't even conceive the experimental horrors that they would subject him.

Grimoire closed his eyes, feeling his heart heavy and distressed. He had lived with the boy for almost a month now and had unconsciously become attached to him in a way that he couldn't explain. Not only would his ethical duty to science prevent him from performing such cruel and inhuman procedures, he, as the person he was, would never be able to simply turn his back on the boy and throw him into the hands of the Science Department to be used like a laboratory rat.

The black-haired man entered the room with soft, inaudible steps and sat down at the edge of the bed; after a brief moment he touched the boy's face and gently stroked his silver hair, and Vincent remained asleep without moving.

Grimoire frowned.

He couldn't let his colleagues discover the cetra boy and his terrible secret; he had to find some way to hide it at any cost.

Gazing at his hand on the boy's head, Grimoire's eyes widened as he saw a drop of blood escape from a small cut he received early on his finger and his mind suddenly assaulted him with a mad idea from an old theory of study of his, but that slowly began to take shape in his head becoming a viable alternative in an extreme emergency situation like that.

It was possible to do so.

...

They walked together in silence, the man and the boy, crossing the length of the snowy field towards a second mounted structure not so far from the small hut. Vincent noticed his nervousness clearly no matter how much the scientist tried to hide it, seeking to keep tranquility in his countenance while his crimson eyes had a shadow of veiled concern.

When they reached the new building the black-haired man opened the door and the boy was the first to enter the room; Vincent stopped in the doorway and watched the new setting with understanding slowly showing on his face.

They were in a laboratory.

Unlike the small, simple, but comfortable hut, this place was filled with state-of-the-art research equipment, modern computers, machinery and analytical devices along with several other items he unfortunately knew very well. His memories immediately assaulted him with the images of the laboratory in the Nibelheim mansion and the experiments Hojo had done to him and Vincent closed his eyes, for a moment feeling internally nauseous from the remembrance.

"This is a laboratory... It's an example of place where I usually work." Grimoire explained in a low voice and with some discomfort.

"You're going to do an experiment." The boy replied; his voice made the affirmation clear and the scientist stared at him feeling internally ill for what he was about to do.

"Vincent..." Grimoire began to speak slowly. "You... Are different ... You are a very special person... Unfortunately where I come from not all scientists like me work for the good of people... If they find you as you are now they may do bad things that I don't wish to happen to you. I know a way that it is possible to hide this to keep you safe, but... "

The scientist fell silent, without being able to finish; closing his eyes he ran a hand over his face with some apprehension.

 _But it was dangerous and he had never done such a thing before; one mistake of his and it could cost the boy's life…_

At this moment Vincent held his trembling hand with unwavering firmness; Grimoire met his gaze and was surprised by the serene, calm countenance on the boy's face.

"I trust you." Vincent told him softly and the black-haired man was marveled at the boy's full genuine belief in him.

Slowly, holding his hand firmly, Grimoire nodded.


	9. Act II - Anew

Greetings! Thanks for the support; it is gratifying to see that you are enjoying my work.

Ifalna and Cobe are characters that will be of great importance in future chapters and will appear quite in the story, but after this one we will not see them for a while, as we still have some ground to walk yet and a few important events that need to happen before their reunion. About Grimoire I have several interesting plans for him in the present plot and also in the future, and there will be a moment when he and Vincent will talk about Chaos and the cetra people, but I confess that I don't know yet whether in this conversation I will go further into the subject to the point of mentioning the temporal journey, it will be something that I will see as the plot unfolds. The stories sometimes look like they are written by themselves XD

Thanks for readying and I hope you like it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Anew**

He awoke slowly from a deep, dreamless sleep, and as the effects of the heavy anesthesia subsided, his perception of himself and his body began to increase gradually. Extremely lethargic he opened his eyes to a blurry world of mixed colors and misshapen forms. There was no pain or signs of discomfort, at least not at that initial moment, just a temporary confusion accompanied by a very strong torpor.

Vincent felt exhausted in a way that was able to overcome the extreme physical weariness he had usually felt at the end of his trainings; it was as if his own soul had been brought to a point of extreme exhaustion and his own being no longer had the strength to fight or to rise, his body barely obeyed him and he realized that he breathed with the aid of devices. The air in his lungs was full, but heavier and harder, and he doubted that he would've been able to pull it to him without the aid of the respirator. He felt different and strange, but at the same time he also felt like himself; a familiar feeling that was difficult to put into words, but could be described as recognizing his old body after waking again without the marks and scars that had accompanied him for so many years.

But with his eyes closed, Vincent also felt distinctly asleep in the depths of his being that different and ancestral nature he had discovered upon awakening in the cetra village, as well as the source of Chaos's power fully present within himself, strong and powerful, a contrast to the great weakness state that he was now.

At that moment he felt someone hold his hand and reopening his eyes the boy encountered the vague image of his father standing beside him.

Grimoire watched him with rumpled hair, crumpled clothing, deep dark circles on his face and crimson eyes that couldn't hide the man's clear relief at the realization that the boy had finally awakened, and Vincent quietly asked himself how long it had been since the moment that he had lost consciousness with the effects of anesthesia.

"Can you hear me, Vincent?" The scientist inquired gently.

The boy closed his eyes and squeezed his hand.

...

They remained there for another five months.

Grimoire studied with great caution and minutiae all the changes entailed by his experiment; he carefully assessed the external physical changes in appearance and especially the internal changes in the cells and in the blood, seeking to maintain normality to the expected standard and performing some small and non-drastic interventions to make the result proceed as planned.

There was nothing on the place that he could use as a decent mirror to show the boy the changes that were slowly taking place in his body, but for him who watched him every day with extreme care, the scientist caught a glimpse of the moment when he finally managed to hide all the particles that formed the cetra DNA, numbing them under a layer of new particles created through his own blood, and also the moment when the boy was transformed to become a part of him.

He watched as the shape of his face began to change subtly, becoming more angular and prominent, the silver hair darkening as the brown eyes began to lighten, gradually adopting a more reddish tone. And day after day the scientist monitored the changes until in his examinations he was not able to apparently find out anything about the boy's cetra descendant, only the characteristics of normality expected of an ordinary human being.

And when Grimoire finally considered his project finished and Vincent was ready, there being no more to look for about the remnants of the cetra people in that land, the man called the boy and slowly started to explain his intention, inviting him to live with him at Midgar, and Vincent listened all of it in silence.

When Grimoire finished and waited for the answer, feeling inwardly nervous, the boy stood from the chair, approached and embraced him, and even though no words were spoken between them at that moment the scientist clearly perceived the other's acceptance.

...

Even before the helicopter had finished crossing the ocean separating the continents, Vincent could see their destiny in the far distance.

Midgar... It's been a long time since he last saw it.

Rising to the skies amidst the rocky scenery, imposing and proud, it stood as a great fortress of tall, intimidating walls, pointed high gates heavily guarded by the SOLDIER elite and giving way to extensive paths, dividing the city in sectors and leading directly towards the main tower, which looked more like the proud castle of a monarch than the headquarters of the most influential company of its era _._ The construction displayed at the top the symbol of Shinra enterprise in notorious dimensions that could be perceived by far.

The small group in a matter of minutes, after receiving confirmation on the radio, finally entered the airspace over the city and the helicopter advanced above the houses to the private runway located near the central building and intended for the private use of the Company's employees.

After they finally landed, a small group was already waiting; Gast in front of them instructed his staff to assist the newcomers in unloading all the research material and to carry it back to the labs while the head of Shinra's Science Department approached his longtime friend and greeted him with a hug.

"It's so good to see you again, Grimoire!" He said it and the black-haired man nodded in agreement, clearly pleased.

"It's good to be back." And watching the teams work on the equipment, the scientist smiled with amusement. "I'm thankful for the retinue; I really wasn't in the mood to carry it all again when we arrived. My back already complained when we loaded it on the helicopter, I think I'm getting too old for that."

Gast laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Didn't you say is all in a day's work?" He joked, and then his attention shifted with curiosity to the boy next to them.

Vincent stared; it had been a long time since he'd last seen him, as long as he'd also seen his father for the last time.

Gast Faremis was still the same from his remembrances; a tall man in his mid-thirties, skinny, well-dressed and always using his white coat, light skin, short brown hair and a full mustache above his lips, wearing the same square dark sunglasses that often people told him it was out of fashion, but that he insisted on keeping it. He removed the object from his face at that moment; his gentle and friendly brown eyes were also the same... And they opened wide with surprise.

"How had you not discovered him before, Grimoire?" The biologist asked his friend. "If I had seen him crossing in front of me on the spot I would've realized that he is your son; he's so you!"

The scientist blushed and stammered an answer, clearly disconcerted, and Vincent observed his father with a small amused smile on his lips; he had secretly listened to the previous conversation the black-haired man had had with his friend to explain his son's sudden 'discovery' and had highly amused himself in watching his father lose his calm and collected composure several times on the telephone, embarrassed for Gast's heavy laugh and teasing on his 'youthful escapades' that could be clearly heard on the other end of the line even by the boy on the opposite side of the room.

On the present, the biologist asked.

"What's your name, my little friend?"

"Vincent." He answered him, extending his hand in greeting and the biologist willingly accepted it.

"Gast Faremis; it's a pleasure to meet you, Vincent." Gast nodded and smiled. "Welcome to Midgar."

...

Just three blocks away from the Shinra's Company, in a large two-story house modestly on the outside but richly decorated inside, it was where the cetra boy truly felt he had returned home.

Vincent watched the scenario with eyes that were lost in a very distant time; the living room with the dark velvet couches of color of wine, the black carpet with carvings in silver, the dark and noble wood furniture scattered throughout the place with good taste. The soft light of the chandelier in the center of the room bathed it with golden nuances and the pleasant perfume of cologne filled the air, the same the scientist usually used; although he worked with the latest equipment in his laboratory, it was an older more refined style that really appealed to his father's taste and Vincent always appreciated the decorating choices he'd made to their house.

As the two scientists talked animatedly in the center of the room, unconsciously the boy walked away through the house, passing on extremely familiar corridors, feeling himself filled with a great sense of nostalgia.

How many memories did he have of that place? Unlike the cetra village, there they were incalculable and came back to him at that moment with great force.

He climbed the stairs, his left hand running up the length of the dark wooden railing, feeling the smooth, polished surface the way he had felt it so many years in the past. On the second floor he moved on, ignored the first two closed doors and the third door on the left he stopped, opened it and entered the place.

His room was exactly the same; a single bed next to the window on the wall opposite the entrance, a desk with a chair next to a bookcase that was empty at the moment, a picture hanging near the door and corridor in the background that lead to a small private bathroom. But what most caught his attention at that moment was the mirror hanging from one of the doors of his wardrobe from which he had a broad view from the room's entrance.

Slowly Vincent approached, crossing the distance to stop in front of the object with an indecipherable countenance. This was the first time he had looked at himself in a mirror again after that day, when he had awakened in the cetra village, and unlike the great astonishment he had felt at the time, he now looked into his own face with a feeling within himself that he couldn't explain, for it carried the weight of his knowledge about the past and the future.

His short black hair fell smoothly and a few strands escaped over his now deep crimson eyes, the same as he had grown accustomed to seeing before. He was older and as the biologist had said when they arrived in the city his features now greatly resembled Grimoire Valentine's features, just as Guildark had explained to him so many years ago.

There was nothing in him now that didn't resemble his father.

The boy closed his eyes affected by strong feeling, and remained that way for a long moment until he regained his composure. When he looked at the mirror again Vincent noticed his father standing in the doorway, watching him with a gentle look.

"I see you've discovered your room." The man spoke, entering the place.

Grimoire came and stood behind the boy, his hands rested on his shoulder and together they looked at each other in the mirror.

"I liked." The boy spoke after a moment and the man nodded.

"Midgar may seem like a very different place from where you came from, but it's a good place and you'll get used to it." Grimoire told him. "This is your home now, Vincent."

...

At first it was meant to be just a security measure, the scientist pretending that the boy was his son and the boy pretending that the scientist was his father.

When the pretending stopped to be just a pretense to start to come true, Grimoire couldn't say, but in time he began to realize that those words no longer came out of his lips only superficially, but began to come straight from his heart.

Sometimes he caught himself watching Vincent from afar, wondering if the boy was all right, whether he was comfortable in the new home and the new city, whether he had made friends, whether he was dressed well on the cold winter days, whether he liked the food the scientist bought home and if he wasn't feeling very much alone during the hours the man went out to work in the labs.

He had even bought a brown cat to keep the boy company, much to his amusement as Vincent named it Gast for the resemblance with the biologist's hair. Several times he came home to find Vincent eating cereals with milk in the living room sharing the food with the cat while it ate the cereal in a small pot at the foot of the couch.

Over time his worries also led him to think about the future, about what school he was going to put the boy in and how he could help him in his studies, or what kind of career he would want to pursue. He imagined him for a moment as a scientist, a younger version of himself wearing a long white coat and examining endless files in a laboratory, and Grimoire smiled slightly knowing that this would be very unlikely, because of the bored or sleepy face that his son did every time he began to tell him about the complex features that made up the beings of the universe.

His thoughts sometimes led him along other paths that were as complex as his theories, such as adolescence and issues that usually accompanied people at that age; prompting him to think about the women Vincent would one day be dating and wondered what kind of girl would be the one with whom he would marry, which also led him to thoughts about the affairs that accompanied marriage, including sex, and the black-haired man paled.

Even knowing all the scientific components that made up human anatomy in the deeper fields of study, he really had no idea on _how_ he would explain _that_ to his son.

When he talked about it with Gast, the biologist laughed hard and had some good slaps on his shoulder, saying that the newly discovered fatherhood would still drive him crazy if he continued to worry about it that way.

But it was during the evenings as he watched the dark-haired boy sleeping that he wondered if Vincent was happy.

And it was one of those evenings when he arrived later than usual from work he found him sleeping on the couch with the cat lying on top of him, and laughing softly Grimoire knelt next to his son and touched his face.

"Vincent, shouldn't you be asleep in your bed?"

The other stretched, his crimson eyes staring drowsy at the man.

"I was waiting for you, father."

The scientist's gaze softened; he couldn't say how much that simple word to him seemed to mean so much.

Vincent sat more awake and looked at the man with that same intense, deep and yet gentle and sincere look that to Grimoire still presented as a mystery he might never have deciphered but which, without words, communicated much to him.

The black-haired boy leaned forward and embraced him, and the scientist wrapped his arms around him with tenderness.

...

As the breeze swept the length of the plains in that summer evening, the beautiful young woman paced the field barefoot and wearing only a long, cream-colored dress of light, loose fabric that swayed subtly at the touch of the warm wind; it caressed her face, fluttering her long brown hair and bringing her a deep sense of peace and contentment.

She reached out her hand, and as she walked she gently touched the tall grass and the plants that populated that fertile soil, her emerald eyes staring at the snowy mountains in the distance.

Once prosperous to be later dyed by red and black blood, now after a long time that land lay full of life again. It was a long and difficult recovery, for several months the intense winter lingered over the continent in mourning for what had happened. She herself had shed tears from an infinite river, several nights lying on her bed weeping for the loss of her father and her people, for although she didn't have such a great bond with the universe she clearly felt the very moment they had left that world to rejoin the Lifestream and the great cycle of life, and that winter had also lasted for a long time inside her heart.

And when the tears finally dried she slowly felt her strength returning to rise again, and with her brother months later they returned to that plain which once housed the beautiful and incomparable ancestral city of stone. Explaining to the boy what had really happened and the true secrets about their friend's background and his arduous training, as well as his inevitable fate was no easy task, but her words were spoken with kindness and firmness, and sitting in the barren field she had gently stroked her brother's head in her lap as he cried.

Watching the vast plain, in time they grew tired of seeing the land naked and deserted and together they began to plow the earth and pray for the planet to return the life to that sad continent. They planted flowers, trees and grass, and with the passage of the seasons the planting prospered and they lacked nothing, for the earth provided them with everything they needed to live.

At times like this she allowed herself to walk alone to reflect on the past, on the present and on the future, and sometimes she wondered how she had been able to have lived through those difficult years completely alone, and it was at these moments in which she silently thanked the second opportunity that was given to the world and for having her brother's presence beside her.

It was also at times like this that the beautiful woman with long wavelike hair also lifted her face to the heavens and thought of her friend. She knew that he was well wherever he was, for in a subtle way she could feel his presence in the tenuous fluids of the Lifestream that formed that planet, as a strong and powerful ancestral energy that partially dormant mingled imperceptibly to the eyes of common amid the thousands life's essences that made up that world.

She knew that he often thought of them too, because sometimes when she did it she felt as if their thoughts met and at that moment she could feel him clearly as he could feel her too, and so they had the certainty that the other was fine despite the distance that separated them.

That was a feeling that brought her comfort.

As she caressed the flowers, feeling the soft, pleasant fragrance and the touch of the warm wind on her face, Ifalna meditated on her father's gentle words and teachings about how some things were necessary to happen, often not in the way people wanted, so that a greater good could be accomplished, awaiting the right moment, and even though they had great longing in their hearts, she and her brother waited patiently, taking care of the land and the life of that place.

For he had made a promise to them, and they knew that one day he would fulfill it.


	10. Act II - Acquaintances

Greetings! I hope to find you well.

Answering the questions, I have been thinking about the future chapters of my story and there is a possibility that Vincent may tell the truth to his father one day, but there is still a long road to go through and it will depend on how the context of the plot unfolds.

In the chapter ' _Anew_ ', in the last scene of Grimoire with Vincent, Vincent should have been between ten or eleven years old, for it is a scene that happens during the first year they are living together in Midgar and reflects some thoughts of Grimoire on the future , unlike ' _Acquaintances_ ' that already begins after a time jump. Basically my project will show important scenes for the main plot, and if they run out on a certain period there will be a temporary jump. If the jump is too long, as it has now, I'll point it out somehow in the story so you don't get lost.

To write this story I had to draw a chronological line of the most important events of FFVII and the age of some characters, as I plan to take it to the point where it began, chronologically speaking until the end of Dirge of Cerberus. I intend to try to keep this matter of age of the characters as close as possible to the original, but of course, there may be differences and some significant changes depending on how the story goes.

Thanks for readying and I hope you like it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 _"I apologize... This is the first time I have ever met anyone from the Turks._

 _Lucrecia Crescent. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Valentine."_

Lucrecia Crescent - FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus

†

 **Acquaintances**

Vincent joined the Turks when he turned twenty.

The dream of working in the largest and most influential company on the continents was part of the minds of most young people of that age, not only of Midgar but also of the many who lived in other cities. The few vacancies open to the various departments were extremely disputed and conquering one of them could mean a sign of status, a great career and salary and the guarantee of a comfortable and stable life.

Perhaps one day he had been equally astonished by such thoughts; the media advertisements were strong enough to get such an image of the company, but experiencing once the dark events that occurred in the other reality as a result of the enterprise disastrous activities, being directly affected by them, Vincent had no love or attachment to Shinra and had no wish to willingly participate and contribute to its current campaign of greatness and expansion again.

But in the years of tranquility that he lived with his father after returning to Midgar, he could say that he enjoyed them to the most, taking advantage of every moment and giving importance to the little things that he hadn't before, and even managing to find happiness again, Guildark's teachings and his knowledge of fate secretly weighed in his heart, and reflecting on the need to repeat certain events of his life to reach the critical points that needed to be changed was that Vincent realized with time that he had no choice and that his paths would inevitably intersect with Shinra once more.

It was with some resignation that he applied to tests at the same time as he had in the past.

It didn't take long to get the approval; he was the best of that edition, considered a natural prodigy for the Turks department. With discipline and perfect military precision that rivaled that of veterans, surprising the examiners, he was able to disassemble and reassemble various types of weapons in record time, load and fire at targets of varying distances with full vision and partial sight, hitting all of them, was the only one to pass through the training area without being seen by the SOLDIERS scattered in an infiltration test and also he answered correctly all the questions of the theoretical test on Shinra and the continents.

When his name was called along with a few more selected and he entered the corridors of Shinra's headquarters, heading to the Turks department to sign the admission papers, unlike the other time when he felt happy to have been chosen, Vincent watched the hall with a grave countenance, feeling himself entering again on that same dark road that he knew there was no turning back.

...

His first field mission occurred a few months later; a simple case of interception and apprehension of military merchandise that suddenly disappeared in the middle of its journey towards Midgar.

He and a specially selected group for a discreet and silent assault left early in the morning and traveled through the skies in two helicopters of the company, crossing the ocean in a matter of hours and then landing in a location not so close to the old town of Corel. Dressed in simple ordinary clothes to not drawn attention of the inhabitants, they entered the city and settled in a humble hotel located in the middle of the local commerce.

In his remembrances Vincent had little recollections of that city; he had been there only once, performing that same mission, and had never returned again before years later the village had been destroyed by Shinra with the Mako reactor explosion. It was a simple city located in an open area from which one could see to the north the extent of a desert and to the south the mountains of mining that gave fame and wealth to that humble population. The houses were made of stone and wood and stood as small buildings of two stories with earthen roofs, built on the stone floor that lay covered by a great layer of sand that the warm wind carried with it every day. Though it was not such a big city, Corel had everything anyone needed to live well and comfortably; the shops provided all kinds of food, clothing, household goods, and varied objects, had a restaurant, a bank and a small church, and in the small central square there were trees that brought a pleasant harmony to the scene.

That was a mission whose order was to get the conclusion as quickly as possible and his group had little time for rest, but in the rare minutes when he could find some time for himself to watch the city from the hotel's window, the black-haired man remembered the long journey he had taken with his friends and especially Barret and his adopted daughter, Marlene, for he knew that old Corel was their native land. By the time he was now, so many years in the past, the Turk thought it most likely that Barrett had not been born yet.

 _You don't have a phone?!_ The six-year-old girl's incredulous voice suddenly came to his mind clearly, and Vincent couldn't help but let a small amused smile play on his lips at the memory.

The first suspicious signal had happened after five days in the city; the group realized that one of the foreigners, who also spent a few days in the place staying in the same hotel, began to leave the establishment at dawn and left the city to return in the morning of the following day before sunrise. Corel didn't have night activities known in the routine of its inhabitants and intercepting clandestine radio frequencies soon they identified a message that informed the meeting point for the sale of products in the black market in a region not so far from the city.

They left at dawn, hours before the combined time, infiltrating the mountains and spreading to cover the entire perimeter. The plan was as simple as the mission itself; wait for the meeting of the suspects, neutralize the business and arrest them in flagrante delicto, carefully calculated to not to give margin to any failure or response time, the biggest characteristic of the organization they were part of; efficiency, cleanliness and speed.

The entire action didn't last ten minutes.

With the materials recovered and the suspects arrested, the group returned to Midgar that same day after the helicopters landed at the scene to pick them up, and filling in the reports later at Shinra's headquarters took much longer than the time they had spent neutralizing the targets to seize the equipment.

When he arrived home after nearly two weeks away, Vincent found his father in the living room bent over a table studying a huge pile of papers; the scientist widened his eyes when he saw him, dropped everything he was doing at the moment and went to meet him, embracing the man strongly to the other's surprise.

"Father, what is it?" Turk inquired, though he returned the gesture.

"I'm glad to see you back." Grimoire told him, and there was great relief in his voice.

That was when Vincent realized that this had been the first time he'd left home for more than a day in all the years he'd lived in Midgar. He smiled slightly, feeling moved by the other man's gesture.

"Now, I have not been away for _that_ long..." He said with amusement.

The scientist laughed lightly.

"Why... Can't I be happy to see that my son has returned?" He replied, moving away to take a closer look at the younger man and frowned. "You look tired; I understand how the work at Shinra can be tough at times, for us at the Science Department there are days that it seems like some projects never will reach an end."

Covering his shoulders with one arm, Grimoire brought him into the house and escorted him to the couch.

"Sit down, son, and get some rest, I'll see something for you to eat."

"What are you working on?" Vincent questioned with a little curiosity, removing his black suit and tie and placing them on the edge of the furniture. He threw himself on the couch and yawned; the barely-sleeper nights at Corel seemed to reach him now as he watched his father turn away to quickly rearrange the papers on the table.

"It's a study on Subatomic particles that I'm reviewing to help a colleague of mine." Grimoire replied excitedly. "Basically in the physical sciences, subatomic particles are particles much smaller than atoms and there are two types of it: the elementary particles, which according to current theories are not made of other particles and the _composite_ particles. In particle physics, the concept of a particle is one of several concepts inherited from classical physics, but it also reflects the modern understanding that, at the quantum scale, matter and energy behave very differently from what much of everyday experience would lead us to expect, and that's an interesting topic because..."

The scientist suddenly stopped when he heard a soft snore and raising his face he saw his son sprawled on the couch submerged in deep slumber. Grimoire laughed lightly and approaching his son he affectionately ruffled his hair.

...

Two years later when he won his last promotion, Vincent finally gained permission to use special weapons in missions instead of the standard pistols that were delivered to the organization's youngest members.

Even knowing that he could've asked his father for the necessary amount of money to have the gun built the way he wanted, he preferred save it during the months of work that passed and after obtaining the authorization he immediately ordered it to be built. A week later while at his station on watch the black-haired man was called to the reception sector and had a large, slightly heavy, rectangular silver case placed in his hands.

On his break the Turk went to the Shooting Training Area and deposited the case on a counter and opened it; his crimson eyes observed the dismantled parts inside, carefully arranged in soft supports so as not to be damaged in transport. His fingers touched the dark, gleaming metal with distant memories running through his mind.

Contrary to the speed he had shown during the tests and trainings he had with the Turks, now Vincent took his time to quietly gather all the pieces to assemble the gun, and when he had it finished, he put the weapon above the closed case and stared at it; the long triple barrel was perfectly adjusted to the structure, and as in the past on both sides there was the symbol of the infernal dog as well on the upper barrel _,_ which at the top was raised in relief and silver color the animal's face with sharp teeth and ferocious features, growling perpetually for a future enemy.

The man reached out his right hand and took the gun, his fingers fitting perfectly to the handle, feeling it completely familiar in its texture and weight, and unlike when he began to take sword lessons with the cetra master, holding now his old weapon in his hands had a clear sense of rediscovering an old acquaintance that had a very important role in his life.

As he charged the weapon, inserting the bullets, one of his colleagues approached him and stared at the gun amazed.

"Wow, it's nice! I've never seen anything like it before!" Watching the black-haired man point the object towards the far target, his index finger caressing the trigger, he inquired curiously. "Have you decided which name to give?"

Vincent smirked slightly.

"I'll name it Cerberus."

He fired.

...

Hurriedly buttoning his white shirt and tying his tie, adjusting the knot on his neck, Vincent took the black suit from the hanger and left the room to proceed with quick steps down the hall. Dressing it on the way, the man ran his hands through his short black hair to straighten it and into the living room he took a small briefcase with his things. He was about to leave for work when he recalled that his father was still at home and would go to the labs only later that day.

Returning to the second floor Vincent noticed the door of the scientist's room ajar and after knocking slightly to announce his presence, he opened it and called.

"Father, I'm leaving."

"Okay." The other man's voice immediately came out; Grimoire stood beside the bookshelf as he flipped through one of the titles in his hands. "Could you do me a favor and take this mail to the post office on the way?"

The scientist indicated a brown envelope on the table and nodding the Turk took the object.

"Sure, I'll take it."

At that moment Vincent's gaze returned to his father with alarm when the man suddenly began to cough hard; Grimoire bowed slightly, leaned back against the shelf and lifted a hand to his face in an attempt to stop it.

"Are you okay?" The Turk asked, approaching and touching his father's shoulder in concern.

"I'm fine, it's just a mild cold from the night before; yesterday was cold, today is too hot and these swings always catch me easy. Don't worry." The older man spoke casually as soon as he stopped coughing, recomposing himself.

 _Grimoire was sick..._ Vincent's eyes widened with the sudden remembrance. _For a long time this disease advanced slowly without him being able to find a cure..._

The scientist frowned; his crimson eyes filled with concern as he watched his son's countenance.

"Vincent?" He called, touching his face. "What happened? You suddenly turned pale. "

The Turk blinked; he felt trembling and his father's hands helped him hold the envelope he had almost dropped.

"It's nothing," The younger man replied quickly.

"Are you sure?" Grimoire asked.

"Yes; I just remembered that I was forgetting to take one of my things before I left..."

Grimoire nodded, gave him two slaps on the shoulder and looked back at the titles on the shelf.

"In a few hours I'll go to the Science Department. If you need anything, call me, okay?"

Vincent nodded slightly and walked away; he stopped at the door and watched his father one last time before leaving the room with a restless heart.

...

Listening to President Shinra's long and endless speech to boast about his company had always been a tedious obligation in his opinion, and that summer afternoon, standing in the midst of a crowd of employees in the central courtyard while frying inside his black suit underneath of the hot sun, Vincent closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as he began to feel the signs of the approaching headache. A glance at his co-workers showed him that everyone secretly shared the same thought, for Turk could easily see in their countenances the veiled consternation as the words of the company's owner continued on and on.

The man had not changed much over the years comparing his current appearance with his older version during the time of the meteor; he was younger and less fat, but was still the same ambitious and tedious goofy as he had been in his memories. Feeling sweat trickling down the side of his face, the black-haired man discreetly loosened the knot of his tie to give his neck a little more space so he could breathe better and he closed his eyes to avoid glaring at the president while trying to block the useless speech from his head.

Mercifully President Shinra finally finished ten minutes later, and as soon as the Turks were dismissed from the central courtyard to return to their duties, Vincent hurriedly left the place to return to the comfort of the air conditioning and two hours later, as had happened the other time, his grouping had been dismissed earlier that day for having done overtime in the previous week required for the completion of a mission.

Previously due to the weariness of the week the black-haired man had returned home straight away, but now it was the growing concern in his heart that made him change course and instead of going to the exit he climbed up the elevator to the floors of the Science Department to pay a quick visit to his father in the labs. It was only after a few minutes' the metal doors opened to reveal the sumptuous reception that preceded the white, labyrinthine corridors that formed the extension of the largest research center on the continents.

The young employee behind the counter greeted him cordially with a handshake.

"I'm here to see Dr. Grimoire Valentine." Vincent asked.

"You must be his son, you're very much alike." The other nodded with a smile, easily recognizing the Turks' uniform and the employee's badge that the dark-haired man used and he indicated the passage to one of the corridors. "Go over there and up the stairs, he's in the third room on the right."

Thanking with a slightly nod, the Turk headed in the indicated direction and after climbing the staircase he stopped suddenly at the new corridor's entrance when the sound of a loud woman's giggle echoed sharply across the hall.

His heart leaped at the same time it squeezed.

Before he could realize what he was doing, Vincent strode down the hall with long, swift steps and in a few seconds he suddenly opened the third door to the right and entered the room; his eyes widened and the woman looked at him with surprise on her face, caught completely unaware by the sudden interruption in the conversation she was having with the other scientist.

Sitting cross-legged next to a study table, wearing a white lab coat over a red shirt and yellow tie, she was elegant and charming, conveying natural grace. Her long brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail wrapped in a yellow ribbon, and a long bang plummeted lightly over the left side of her rosy, delicate face. Her brown eyes sparkled with vivacity and innocence, devoid of the shadow of pain, suffering, and guilt as he had gotten used to seeing on them.

She was still as beautiful as the last time he had seen her, trapped inside the crystal in the cave after all those sad events.

Vincent just realized he was still staring when his father's laughter brought him back to the present.

"You scared me, Vincent, appearing out of nowhere like that! I really didn't expect to see you here in the labs since you spend most of the time avoiding it like the plague."

"I... Forgive me ... I... I didn't want to interrupt you..." He managed to respond with some sobriety, still stunned by the woman's presence; he had first met her on the mission in Nibelheim, and although it was logical the possibility, he confessed that he had never thought in his head that he could happen to meet her before in the new present.

"Don't mind it, you didn't interrupt, on the contrary, it's a great opportunity to introduce you." Grimoire replied lightly with a distracted hand; standing near the door he approached the Turk and put a hand on his shoulder and indicated the woman to approach. "I believe you haven't known each other yet?"

"Not yet." The woman answered, rising from her chair and walking towards the men.

"This is my son, Vincent Valentine; he's one of the Turks' officers." The black-haired scientist introduced them. "And this is Lucrecia Crescent, my new assistant and also my PhD student."

Their eyes met and they watched each other or what seemed a long time; for the woman she found in his crimson eyes a pleasant feeling of initial affinity caused by a good first impression, for the man it was as if he had found again at that moment one of his reasons for living.

The scientist was the first to reach out to greet him.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Valentine." She told him with friendly spontaneity.

"Please... Call me Vincent." The black-haired man nodded, corresponding to the gesture.

Involuntarily his hand trembled at her touch, and interpreting it as a sign of certain shyness, the woman smiled slightly and covered his hand with her second hand to steady it.

"Well, then, pleased to make your acquaintance, Vincent." Lucrecia smiled, and the only thing he could think of at that moment was the feel of her warm hands on his.


	11. Act II - Amity

**The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Amity**

The woman's brown eyes widened with deep admiration; never before in her life had she seen a place as beautiful as that.

Slowly Lucrecia took a few steps forward and stopped in the center of the subterranean chamber; the pale skin of her face flickered in the soft light emitted by the hundreds of crystals scattered around the cave.

Partially illuminated by the bluish energy that enveloped them, the sharp, transparent formations stretched around the scene in varying sizes, from small fragments like precious stones to greater elevations that stood as silent guardians watching over the larger crystal building on the background of the place, rising up like a beautiful column isolated above a small island, surrounded by the calm crystalline waters of a fountain.

When Grimoire Valentine stopped by her side, she asked her teacher, delighted.

"Is this the place you spoke of?"

"Yes." The scientist nodded in agreement, observing the cave with a thoughtful countenance. "Deep within this grotto is where Chaos is destined to awake."

The black-haired man pondered his own words; it was true that in his in-depth investigations he had found evidence of Chaos's awakening in that region, and that after a thorough analysis of this information he was led to discover that cave.

During the beginning of the woman's work as his assistant, the scientist had avoided showing Lucrecia anything related to his secret project, but knowing her better and perceiving in her true devotion to the science directed towards the good of humanity, as well as her genuine interest in discovery of the elements that formed the universe _,_ little by little he revealed to her his researches and was surprised at her dedication to help him and over time truly becoming his right hand.

Frowning at the thought of his son, Grimoire inquired himself at that moment what would be the meaning of that unusual place, for Chaos had already been reborn in that world, though Vincent remained ignorant of his true identity. This Chaos 'awakening' related to that crystal cave, could it in truth be referring to the awakening of his son's consciousness about who he really is? What could exist in that cave that had direct involvement with Vincent?

At this moment Lucrecia rushed forward and the man raised his face in surprise.

"Wait!" He said, but the woman didn't listen.

Giggling radiantly, Lucrecia looked at her teacher and called.

"Come on, Dr. Valentine!"

Grimoire snorted softly.

"The fountain is not going anywhere," He muttered amused.

Lucrecia paced around the cave and her joy was so contagious that she looked like a child who had just received the best gift of all, and the black-haired man couldn't help but smile watching her.

Grimoire approached the fountain and he stood on the bank to observe the crystal formation more closely; internally the scientist also admired the unique construction of that scenario, although he kept it to himself, staying sober. The man lowered his attention to the water and his crimson eyes widened in surprise; he immediately knelt down to take a closer look at the bottom.

Lucrecia, who stopped by his side, gasped in surprise.

"What is that?!"

Above the layer of white sand in the depths of the waters were two spheres of black, dense energy that seemed to glide smoothly across the ground, surrounding a considerably smaller glowing sphere that much assembled a materia.

"Lucrecia." Grimoire broke the silence with a breathless whisper. "Bring in the equipment."

...

Lucrecia looked at her wristwatch and swore under her breath; thanks to her alarm clock that decided to conveniently stop working right on the day she made a commitment to her teacher to arrive earlier at work, wishing to clarify some doubts about her thesis project, the scientist was exactly fifteen minutes late when she crossed the entrance doors of Shinra Enterprise and prayed that it would not turn to twenty-five when she finally arrived at the Science Department.

Holding a fat briefcase full of papers under one arm while her opposite hand tried to close some buttons of the white coat, the woman stopped in shock as she stumbled upon the huge line of people awaiting the arrival of the elevators.

"Did everyone decide to arrive late today?!" Lucrecia exclaimed incredulously and indignantly, and cursing she turned and ran in another direction, immediately entering a nearby passage.

It would have to be the stairs.

She went down the corridor, doubled in two passages, walked the length of the third hall easily because there was no staff movement, then turned quickly on curve and crashed into someone.

They both fell brutally on the floor; the briefcase was hurled away and the papers scattered on the floor the same way the woman sprawled on top of the victim of her unforeseen and unintended attack.

The man grunted, and opening her eyes Lucrecia met the familiar crimson eyes of her boss's son.

Vincent blinked, initially confused, but the next moment he recognized the brown-haired woman.

They stared for a moment that seemed an eternity, immersed in each other's gaze, until the Turk shifted uncomfortably below her and realizing their current situation the scientist flushed.

"Um..." He started uncertainly. "Miss Crescent?"

Lucrecia blinked, tried to move and perceived she couldn't, realizing that he had caught her in the fall.

"Your arm," she said.

"Oh." Realizing what he was doing, he immediately released her.

The scientist stood and Turk sat up; she offered him her hand and Vincent accepted, rising as well.

"Are you okay?" He asked her after a moment and she nodded absently.

"Yes, I am, thank you." Lucrecia laughed awkwardly, rearranging a few strands of her fringe that had misplaced on the fall.

The Turk noticed the fallen briefcase and bent down to gather the documents.

"I see you're in a hurry." He remarked, reminding her of her commitment and the woman paled.

"Dr. Valentine's waiting for me, and I'm late!"

Vincent handed her the briefcase and spoke softly.

"I'm sure my father will understand; I'll tell him afterwards that you've been with me, he will not mind it."

"Thank you, Vincent." She thanked him again and turning around she walked a few steps and paused, remembering something. Looking back at Turk, the woman added. "You may call me Lucrecia, there is no need for such formality, really... it's good to see you again."

Observing her retreating form, Vincent smiled slightly with a warm look in his eyes.

"Lucrecia..." He whispered.

...

Grimoire Valentine ran a hand through his pale face, his eyes watching the results of the initial tests that he performed showing on the big screen of his laboratory in Shinra. His concern extended to his son and how much that could mean to his health and safety.

Oblivious of the turbulent thoughts running through her teacher's head, Lucrecia stood beside the scientist and folded her arms, watching the panel with great curiosity.

"They seem like a source of power," she said thoughtfully. "As a battery or a nucleus fragments, like as if a central energy source was torn apart into several pieces, becoming smaller essences of equal power."

Extending her hand and touching the screen, Lucrecia drew the connection diagram over the surface.

"Look at this; clearly it shows that their formulation is part of the same main structure because they have an interesting model that allows them fit again if they are gathered close to the central source, like a puzzle."

The woman then indicated the percentage numbers displayed on the bottom of the panel.

"From your analysis you can see that the structure and density equals 20% each. Considering the theory that the main piece also owns 20% of this power, then we have two fragments of 20% each and the protomateria, totalizing 40%. That means there must be two more essences like these scattered around, plus the 'main' piece where they can be gathered."

Lucrecia frowned and watched her teacher, who was staring at the screen extremely silent.

"If that cave is supposed to be where Chaos would wake, these essences... are essences of its power and Chaos is the 'main' piece?" She asked him. "Would it be possible for a being of creation as Chaos to be alive even today, after millennia of the creation of Gaia?"

Grimoire closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he admired how smart Lucrecia was for matters of science in the same proportion in which he also feared the things she might discover with time. They thought alike and she couldn't imagine how close to the truth she had hit with her assumptions.

Keeping sober, his voice calm, he answered after a long moment.

"That possibility is highly unlikely, Lucrecia ..." The scientist began cautiously. "There is no kind of organism that would be able to withstand such power."

Grimoire stood and paced around the room.

"These essences that we have found can give us many answers about things we don't even think are possible... But they are dangerous at the same time; the support chambers have an internal pressure to the exact extent necessary to keep them stable in storage, but I have no doubt that they could destroy the whole structure if they become unstable for some reason."

The man stopped and cupped his chin with his left hand while crossing his arms over his chest.

"No ordinary living being would bear such power…"

"Even so..." Lucrecia spoke with a wonder smile on her lips. She put her hands on the panel and spoke dreamily. "It would be nice if that were possible ... Can't you imagine, Dr. Valentine, to meet Chaos itself in front of you... Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Yes..." Grimoire said, his crimson eyes gleamed and his thoughts were completely focused on his son. "Maybe, Lucrecia ... Maybe ..."

...

Vincent raised his face and looked at his father across the table; the scientist was quiet, more than usual at dinner, staring at the plate as he ate distractedly with apprehensive countenance.

Finishing his meal the younger man leaned back in his seat, folded his arms and broke the silence.

"What's troubling you, father?"

Grimoire lifted his face and blinked in surprise, sharply awake from his thoughts.

"You didn't say anything at all this time." Turk went straight to the point.

"Oh." The older man laughed in embarrassment and ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry, son... I am really a little distracted."

"Just a little? Are you sure?" Vincent questioned with amusement and Grimoire nodded with a smile.

"Okay, okay..."

The scientist agreed, pushed his plate away and paused his dinner. He thought about his recent discoveries in the laboratory that were the real sources of his current concern, but instead of revealing them to his son he decided to speak about another matter that also weighed on his mind.

"Lucrecia is finishing her doctorate, and in a few days she will defend her thesis to the examining board."

"Why does this concern you?" The younger man inquired with mild curiosity.

"Lucrecia is a brilliant scientist, son ..." Grimoire began to say. "She is a dedicated and extremely interested woman, she has a vision wider than many of our colleagues in the Science Department and the thesis she made is really fantastic and innovative ... But also extremely bold and I fear that some of the members of the examining board may make it difficult for her approbation."

Vincent frowned. He listened to everything in silence, knowing full well the subject Lucrecia had chosen to address in her thesis he also knew that had been her great step to the title of doctor, and he pondered his father's words, asking.

"And have you ever talked about your concerns with her?"

Grimoire nodded; he rested his elbows on the table and his chin above his joined hands.

"Yes, she knows my concerns and she insisted on going ahead with the project."

 _Stubborn as aways..._ Vincent smiled slightly.

"You shouldn't worry so much, I'm sure Lucrecia is a competent professional that knows what she's doing."

The scientist nodded slightly, watching his son.

"She wrote a thesis based on an old project of mine that I never dared to divulge to the scientific community... It was just a kind of hobby... A personal curiosity of mine..."

"Gast will be on the examining board?" Vincent asked and the other man nodded. The Turk proceeded. "She is like you when it comes to science, father, and she is your oriented. She'll make it, I'm sure of it."

Grimoire just nodded again, still thoughtful.

...

That evening as he patrolled the West Tower, a large building attached to the main Shinra's construction through a closed footbridge, Vincent found Lucrecia in a higher area that provided a large balcony and revealed a privileged view of Midgar.

Watching her for a moment gazing at the city with a grave countenance and distant glance, Vincent had the familiar feeling that he had lived through this moment in the past. As he patrolled Shinra Enterprise on several occasions he did found countless members of the Science Department in their leisure time.

Perhaps he had met Lucrecia before without knowing it, and as it didn't mattered to him who she was at the time he probably had just continued off with his work, but in the present moment, however, he entered the balcony and approached the woman. Listening to his footsteps echoing softly on the floor, the scientist awoke from her reverie and her face filled with surprise as she recognized him.

"I've done the patrols several times before in this place, but it's rare to find anyone here, no matter how impressive the view is." The black-haired man commented, leaning his arms on the guardrail, he also stared at the landscape with a sober countenance.

"I thought more people knew of this place," she said with genuine curiosity. "But now that you've commented it... During the times I've been here I've never met anyone else until now."

She watched him nod slightly.

"People's lives are very busy these days, and only a few spend some minutes of their time to enjoy such beauties."

Vincent met her gaze.

"I came here only once before while I wasn't working on patrol. And you? Do you come here often?"

"Only in times when I want to listen to my own thoughts alone." Lucrecia laughed lightly. "In the laboratories there is a lot of talk, the sound of equipment working nonstop… there are some issues that only silence can gives us the necessary concentration."

Turk smiled slightly.

"You didn't seem to be concentrating on your thoughts just now; you appeared to be fighting them."

The scientist laughed and her fingers played through her long fringe; the golden tone of the sun bathed her delicate face and Vincent thought she was beautiful at that moment.

"My father told me about your thesis," he commented. "So… you are close to completing your doctorate, then?"

"Yes..." She averted her face to watch her own hands and Turk sensed her nervousness as he touched the subject.

"And this should not bring you joy?" Vincent asked.

"I _am_ happy; I really cannot wait to get it over with." The scientist shook her head and her brown eyes flashed with concern. "But..."

Turk closed his eyes and sighed softly.

"You're worried about the defense, aren't you?" He said and she raised her face to look at him in surprise.

Lucrecia said nothing at once, but as his gaze returned to her, intense and deep that seemed to know exactly what she was thinking or feeling, the woman realized herself nodding in agreement and confessing.

"I know it's foolish... But there is certain fame that the defense is difficult and that the examination board of the Science Department is not convinced easy; you have to impress them to get approval and this really as made me lose my sleep…"

The man listened to her quietly, and when she sighed beside him, resting her hands on the guardrail with slumped shoulders as if and the weight of the world was on her back, Vincent put a hand of his above hers and told her soberly.

"I don't know what the theme of your thesis is, but I'm sure you'll enchant the teachers of the examining board and you'll win the approval, after all you're being mentored by my father, and although he told me it's an unusual and daring subject, he also said it's fantastic and innovative, capable of opening eyes to many possibilities within science."

Lucrecia watched him speechless as the Turk went on.

"As much as you come to meet some people who are not according to what you will present, as happens to many things in life, the important thing is to not listen to them; if you believe in your project you will be able to defend it and convince those who will be evaluating you. You just have to believe in yourself, the rest doesn't matter."

Astonished she thanked him silently, nodding, feeling her voice tighten in her throat and he returned the gesture in understanding. She looked at his hand over hers, feeling it steady as his words of encouragement, and as soon as the thought came into her mind she spoke it out loud as she found her voice again.

"My thesis defense will be next week, late afternoon on Monday. Come to see my presentation." She invited him, and Vincent pulled away from her and crossed his arms to look at her curiously.

"I don't know how my humble presence could make any difference in an auditorium full of doctors of science." Turk joked and the woman slapped his arm.

"For me it would be important!" She told him with false indignation, and Vincent nodded, snorting softly.

"If you insist."

The smile that lit the woman's countenance at that moment was priceless.


	12. Act II - Empathy

Greetings to you all! I hope to find you well!

I want to thank you for the encouragement, I'm glad you're enjoying my story.

In this chapter, the scene of the presentation of Lucrecia's thesis was difficult and complex to write, it took me days to finish, because I had to research for scenes of the game to do something coherent, and I also used some excerpts from Dirge of Cerberus dialogue with extras on my part to be able to assemble the complete structure of the scene. I hope it's convincing!

About Grimoire all I can say without spoiling the plot is that I have several plans for him in future chapters. ;)

Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Empathy**

The exclusive auditorium of Shinra Science Department was full that late afternoon; several scientists and employees of that sector of the company had come to the presentation of the thesis that would soon begin in a few minutes, and as the last people entered and settled into the vacant seats in the audience, several conversations of moderate tone also merged in the environment.

Vincent was sitting in a location far from the center of the room, in the last oval row of chairs, watching his father sitting next to the examining board talking to Gast and other members of the committee. Theoretically the thesis presentations of the Science Department were restricted only to the collaborators who worked in the area, being forbidden the entrance of external ones that didn't have special authorization to watch the event, something that was not difficult to obtain being the son of one of the most reputed scientists of Shinra and also personal friend of the head of the sector.

The black-haired man was pensive, his attention directed to the elegant stage with several rows of armchairs already occupied, arranged on wide steps that were decreasing in height as they approached the elevated structure ahead, and above it there was a presentation pulpit on display, and behind it, the large electronic panel showed the information of the thesis that would be presented that evening.

Frowning, crimson eyes that were lost in the memories of the past, Vincent remembered his conversations with Shelke's sister about Lucrecia and her thesis.

 _"Lucrecia was researching Chaos?" H_ _e asked astonished and Shalua stared at him in surprise._

 _"Don't tell me you didn't know..."_

No, he didn't... And looking at the scientist's name on the screen the Turk also thought about how many other things he didn't know at the time.

 _"The theories that she presented in her work were so abstract and complex..." Shalua told him. "It was never even submitted to the Shinra database..."_

Recalling that, he wondered why Lucrecia's work had never been published in Shinra's internal system, and thought that perhaps it had been posted but later on deleted by Hojo in order to exploit it to manipulate Deepground and Omega for his purposes.

The dark-haired man's gaze became somber, and rummaging through the audience he didn't find the mad scientist in the crowd.

 _When I first read it, I thought that woman's thesis was utter nonsense..._ Hojo's words returned to his mind and Vincent thought that the scientist probably didn't even dignify himself to come and see Lucrecia's work believing it useless, and closing his fists, internally that cogitation brought him some comfort for he really didn't know what he could do if he saw the other man again.

At this moment the attention of the audience fell on the stage and silence surrounded the entire enclosure. Lucrecia presented herself with charm and elegance, wearing the same red shirt, yellow tie and a dark dress under her white lab coat.

"Good evening." She greeted. "Welcome to my thesis presentation. Firstly I want to thank you all for your presence here and your attention."

The beautiful long brown-haired woman pronounced.

"My name is Lucrecia Crescent, I am a Shinra class A scientist specializing in the field of Biotechnology. This presentation is a required step as a prerequisite for obtaining the PhD degree in Sciences and Biotechnology. This project was named _'The Planet's Pulse_.'"

Walking down the stage towards the presentation pulpit, the scientist continued.

"Today the world presents itself to us in a vast way; its infinite secrets are a constant challenge for those who wish to delve deeper into the study of the origin of the universe and of people's lives."

As Lucrecia stepped into the pulpit, the scenario's light suddenly began to fade and the auditorium was completely covered by shadows. The absolute darkness was then partially broken by a soft light, which began to emanate from a small sphere-shaped structure in the center of the oval hall before the stage, attracting the curious looks of the audience.

"Just as life circulates through our planet, so too, does our planet through the universe; at least in theory."

As soon as the woman finished her sentence the sphere's light spread throughout the hall and several exclamations of admiration manifested themselves from the crowd; the hologram provided the realistic image of the universe that seemed to extend infinitely around them. The audience sailed among thousands of stars that glowed like luminous dots in the middle of an infinite black ocean, where planets emerged in spheres of multiple colors like islands in the space.

Vincent sighed softly as he watched again the scene that could truly enchant the eyes, and the dark-haired man felt a sense of nostalgia as he remembered watching it in the past on Shera's bridge. At that time Lucrecia's voice had been nothing more than a fragmented recording that Shelke had managed to recover in Shinra's system, and it paled in comparison to the woman's vibrant, vivid voice that in the present moment echoed through the auditorium.

"This is a time period that in common sense we usually call 'The Cycle of Life'. We are born, we grow, we learn and we mature with the passing of each of these phases, then we grow old and after we have passed on our knowledge to the future generations, the cycle closes, ending this existence."

The hologram led them on a journey between the planets until before the audience's sight a single planet showed itself; its beautiful earthly crust resembled Gaia's surface, showing the towering continents and the vast blue oceans that covered the majority of the planet's extent.

"Just as we return to the planet when our lifelight has faded, the planet returns to the cosmos when her time has come. Anything that has definite shape will one day cease to exist. The same is true for this world."

Suddenly from space three meteors emerged from the black ocean and collided with the planet; its entire surface was enveloped by a sea flames that quickly spread through the crust at the same time as the Lifestream's flow began to manifest itself.

"Before she takes her final breath, the pure Lifestreams that flow freely beneath her crust will be brought together into one by Omega, the ultimate lifeform."

As the seconds passed, more the Lifestream became apparent; its fluids began to accumulate in a single point above the planet, forming a great concentration of greenish energy.

"His purpuse is to gather all life, sentient and non, and lead it into the sea of stars, where it will embark on a fabulous journey along a road untraveled."

When the Lifestream was fully assembled, the energy suddenly was shot into space like a missile traveling the length of the universe, raising some exclamations of surprise from the audience.

Vincent closed his eyes; in his mind he remembered the great Omega standing in the center of Migdar as a giant and imposing colossus connected to the fluids of life from the planet. The chaos that settled in the streets, the traces of war and destruction, the carnage, people dying and the cries of pain and despair...

"However, when Omega has lifted the life from this planet, all that will remain will be an empty shell destined to die silently in the limitless void of space."

The black-haired man opened his teary eyes and stared at the hologram showing a stone planet empty of life beginning to crack until it was torn completely apart in a big explosion, and the Turk leaned back in his seat as he felt the weight of his fate and the responsibility he had fall upon his shoulders again.

 _In one hand he will carry the key of hope to renew this world..._ He remembered Guildark's voice speaking of the prophecy. _In the other he shall bring the destruction of all..._

Unable to continue observing the fragments of the shattered planet, the man closed his eyes and turned away, covering his face with one hand; no one noticed his momentary malaise.

 _This is his purpose, his true destiny... In your hands... Our future..._

The image of the destroyed planet was then replaced by the starry scenario of the universe stretching around the silent auditorium, impressed by the demonstration. And after a minute one of the professors of the examining board manifested himself, breaking the silence and inquiring.

"This is certainly an unprecedented theory about the end of a planet's life." The scientist spoke out loud the thoughts that were shared by his colleagues as well. "Assuming that this is a fact that actually occurs, according to your research, what happens to the Lifestream that travels through space? Who would be this Omega quoted in your project, which supposedly would have such a power capable of withdrawing all life from one planet and carry it into the black infinity?"

"It's the starting of a new cycle, a new beginning."

Lucrecia replied and the hologram shifted again, showing the Lifestream flow traveling through the universe.

"As we have seen in previous research, we all know that Gaia housed an ancient noble race called Cetra, which in theory was the people who created and gave life to this planet. While there is no record of how and when humans emerged, there are some old documents that reveal a little about what the Cetra believed with reference to the planet's creation and also mention the beings that could make this journey possible; some were written in common language, others in an old language difficult to translate, but with a deep study it was possible to extract the knowledge they had."

With a brief pause and a quick sip from the glass of water on the pulpit, the woman went on.

"For them this journey was part of a cycle for the search of the Promised Land, a kind of paradise that could offer absolute happiness. They would set temporarily on planets, populating them with life, and after the end of a certain period of time they departed to another place in space, repeating the process and thus traveling the universe in search of this Promised Land. Although they considered themselves connected to the Lifestream, it wasn't their power that caused this transition; according to the documents found, two beings considered the ' Ultimate Weapons' were responsible for the beginning and the end of each of these stages, and were known by the name of Omega and Chaos."

Vincent's gaze flickered with the mention of that name, so significant now to him. The hologram has partially changed; though it could still show the flow of Lifestream traveling in the blackness, overlapping its image in the center of the room now it was also possible to see some ancient-looking parchments.

"According to a passage found from a fragment of the scriptures of the Ancients called The Chronicles of Yore, it tells us the following message: Soul wrought of terra corrupt, quelling impurity, purging the stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate. Behold mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens." The scrolls disappeared to reveal only the Lifestream and the universe, and Lucrecia continued. "Chaos and Omega are sentient xenoforms residing among us, asleep in the flow of the Lifestream that is present in a planet. According to the Cetras, whenever the life cycle of a planet was at the end and the moment of returning to the space arrived, these two Ultimate Weapons would be born from the Lifestream's flow, assuming physical form, to initiate the terminal process; while Chaos would be generated by the corrupted energies accumulated on the planet during the course of that lifetime, Omega would re-emerge through the still remaining pure fluids."

Walking a few steps away from the pulpit to better observe the image projected by the hologram, Lucrecia explained.

"In theory, still according to these scriptures, Omega could be considered a safety mechanism and wouldn't be a danger to humans, as it is designed to just maintain and protect the flow of life's essence and would appear only when the end was imminent, when the planet started to show signs of decay. His only purpose is to cleanse the planet of all things living and lead their immortal souls through the abyssal aether to a new beginning far, far beyond the neverending sea of stars."

The hologram showed the flow of Lifestream accumulating at an empty spot in the universe and slowly spread out into sphere-shaped branches to start forming a planet, and within a few seconds before the eyes of the audience the new planet was done with continents abounding in life and the blue oceans covering the majority of the crust.

"And what about this other sentient form? Chaos?" Another scientist inquired. "You said that Omega wouldn't be a danger to humans because he is responsible only for gathering and carrying the Lifestream through space, but what about this Chaos? What is his role? Was it a dangerous being or not?"

Lucrecia smiled; they asked about one of the topics she liked the most in her project.

"According to the findings, Chaos is Omega's squire; while Omega is responsible for carrying the Lifestream through space, Chaos is the Ultimate Weapon that has the power to manipulate these fluids and extract them from the planet." The scientist explained. "Chaos is made of the black, dense and corrupted energy that makes the part of Lifestream that is no longer pure, and this transformation is a natural and expected process, arising from the continued exploitation of the planet's natural resources."

The hologram then showed the shape of the lifestream flowing through the planet and its greenish tone suddenly transformed into dark purple, clearly corrupted looking fluids.

"But being Chaos's role precisely this, extract the Lifestream, the life of this planet, in theory this means that after assuming the physical form Chaos would extinguish with all living beings on the planet's crust. Born before the planet dies, he shall gather together all life for Omega's journey to the sea of stars."

 _That's Chaos..._ Vincent remembered Lucrecia's words to him once. _And he slumbers inside you..._

Watching the scientist, Vincent could tell that she was truly happy and radiant talking about that subject, and curiously he wondered what she would do if she knew that he was the Ultimate Weapon she devoted so much to in her researches.

Oblivious to that, the woman went on, explaining animatedly.

"But this doesn't necessary means that Chaos is a direct threat to humanity, on the contrary, just as Omega, Chaos is an Ultimate Weapon that would only be born at the final moment of the planet, in a critical crisis where there is no more possibility of rebalancing the conflicting energies. Then he will proceed in making the extraction of the Lifestream as a way to protect it, to allow this new beginning of life in another distant place in the universe."

Lucrecia then deactivated the hologram and slowly the universe around them started to disappear and gradually the scene of the auditorium full of people returned to resurge.

"These two beings, though only quoted by the writings of the Ancients, are in theory part of the creation of the world in which we live and have been of great importance for the birth of Gaia in the hands of the Cetra. To recognize their existence and contribution to our history is necessary to understand better the studies of the origin of the universe." The woman continued. "As a final consideration of this research I may add that the Lifestream acts within Gaia as a source of abundant life, as blood is to our body. Just as the heart pumps the blood, the Lifestream is pumped into a fluid stream across the planet, becoming a fundamental 'pulse of life' so that..."

At this moment the scientist stopped her speech when the sound of muffled laughter echoed through the place, and most of the audience's attention turned to a group of scientists sitting in the background. Among the members of the examining board Gast rose and gestured for Lucrecia to wait. The head of Shinra's Science Department, in one of the rare times when he wasn't wearing his dark sunglasses, looked at the men sternly and his voice made itself clear in the auditorium.

"I want to ask what you would like to add in contribution to your colleague's work?" He inquired. "Certainly all who are here are researchers wanting to improve their knowledge with the research of their peers, and watching the project now exposed to this scientific community, I do not see what was the reason for these laughter since none of the subjects had humorous contents."

The men looked at each other in silence; the oldest of them rolled his eyes at the fear of his colleagues and stood, greeted the auditorium and spoke.

"Forgive my disbelief in this matter, Dr. Faremis; I confess that to create a theory about the conception of the universe is extremely daring, but to base this scientific study only on ancient scrolls of a people who fancy their myths and legends about magical creatures of colossal power, and to affirm to be valid this thought that they gave rise to everything, is an extremely surreal and utopian consideration."

Watching the audience, he continued.

"If we are developing science, we need to have valid and tangible proofs to determine the veracity of any theory. In addition to old papers and fragments of torn scrolls, what else do we have in hand that proves the existence of these creatures? Researches have already been conducted by the Science Department on all the continents of Gaia using recognized scientific methods, and I can assure everyone here that nothing has been found. Certainly, these beings, Chaos and Omega, were just imaginary friends of the Cetra people."

The scientist's colleagues began to laugh at the man's placement, and even some of those in the auditorium couldn't help laughing lightly by the way the remark had been placed, and over the pulpit Lucrecia stared at the scientist feeling outraged.

One of the members of the examining board spoke up.

"It is a valid remark he shared and I make it my own words; I address this questioning to Miss Crescent."

Lucrecia was silent for a moment; feeling at first humiliated by the clear ridicule of her colleagues, her heart filled in the next instant with indignation for she knew that she could prove the truth of the facts, that Chaos and Omega really existed because of the recent discoveries she had made with Grimoire in the Crystal Cave. She believed that with an in-deep analysis of those essences she could make them swallow that sham, but reflecting on her decision to leave that discovery out of her thesis project, the woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Vincent watched her; his crimson eyes showed concern.

 _I know you can do it, Lucrecia._ He thought, and at that moment, as if sensing the strength of his thoughts, the woman lifted her head and looked back at the crowd; her brown eyes flashed brightly and her countenance filled with determination.

"What wasn't the birth of science as we know it today, if not through theories that at first couldn't be proved by conventional scientific methods?" The woman criticized, raised a hand with a clenched fist and held it out to the audience towards the group of scientists in the background. "This, gentlemen, is the limitation of your thinking compared to the size of the universe that is all around us."

Moving away from the stage to walk to the center of the auditorium, the woman stopped at the side of the hologram structure and continued, her voice echoing steadily across the room.

"Before the modern equipment of analysis and investigation which we have today, how to prove the existence of the Lifestream, the planets and systems, or even the exact composition and function of each organ of the human body? It wasn't possible and at the time they were only about theories."

She activated the hologram again and the stars enveloped the auditorium once more; Lucrecia stood in the center, near the sun.

"It is true that my research was based heavily on the documents found during the field studies and may have some missing details, since much has been lost with the extinction of the Cetra people and with the passing of the centuries, but I question you; why we should stick only to what is before our eyes now, accommodated in the comforts that technology brings us today?"

In the silence of the audience, her voice grew even stronger.

"Even if my theories about Chaos and Omega come one day to be true or not, what really matters is that we need to find out more about who we are, where we came from and what is our real role in the history of the world, because if we don't know our own past and learn from those who have lived before us, how can we wish to be better human beings, able to avoid mistakes and ensure a balanced and good future for all of us and for the planet?"

The scientist watched them.

"What is the real purpose of science?" She inquired. "If it is not this, then it becomes a useless tool in our hands and so there would be no need for research and critical analytical character in our studies, and we will be doomed to succumb in the ignorance of random. We _need_ to want to know, even if the first step is only through theories that in the future may be converted into in-depth studies, with tangible evidence for each new discovery that we make."

The silence that settled when she finished her speech was broken with the sound of Gast's applause, which echoed loudly through the auditorium, and in the following seconds others joined the head of the Science Department to applaud the woman, who remained stunned in the center of the auditorium. Grimoire Valentine had watery eyes and watched Lucrecia with paternal pride.

Applauding also in the background, Vincent smiled.

...

A few days later the official graduation ceremony took place at the Midgar Amphitheater, located a few blocks away from the Shinra Enterprise; built in stone in an imposing and sophisticated structure, it had a great majority of its occupation filled by the event's guests presiding the ceremony, although of the initial class only five had remained, successfully succeeding in obtaining approval in all the stages of the course.

Lucrecia took the stage accompanied by her four colleagues; on that very important night her radiant countenance showed a perpetual light through the beautiful smile on her lips and on her brown eyes that possessed a great bright of contentment. She was charming in a long white silk dress that fell flat and loose to the floor, but that fitted perfectly the curves of her hip and also valued the line of her shoulders, revealing entirely the clear skin of her neck where a gold chain sustained a small ruby stone resting above her breast and matching the earrings made of the same jewel.

It was with great joy that she received the Ph.D. degree which gave her the recognition of all her efforts.

...

In an extensive complex coupled with the amphitheater, the celebratory dinner was served to all guests in an inviting ambience, where the main hall was made up of long, dark wooden tables, prepared with long white tablecloths, fine ceramic plates, silver cutlery and crystal goblets perfectly aligned in front of each one of the seats; between the sets arranged on the table were decorations that aided in harmonizing the environment, illuminated by pleasant light through a large chandelier hanging high in the center of the room.

During dinner, sitting next to his father, Vincent, strictly attired in his Turk uniform, raised his attention to the opposite side of the table at a certain point ahead and saw Lucrecia talking to one of her colleagues; after the end of the solemn ceremony he hadn't had an opportunity to talk to the woman who had been completely surrounded by the employees of the Science Departament, acquaintances, guests and other members of the company, but at that exact moment the scientist also raised her face and their eyes met.

Lucrecia smiled and waved discreetly in greeting, and the black-haired man raised his goblet in a toast; the woman responded by imitating the gesture, also raising her chalice in return.

After dinner, as the night progressed, the Turk left the main hall and climbed the long staircase to the public corridors of the second floor where the movement was calmer and the atmosphere less noisy. He had seen his father walk out of the main hall with Gast a few minutes ago, and something about the head of the Science Department intrigued him deeply, though he couldn't name the reason for it at once.

Walking down the corridor and into a deserted hall, Vincent had the impression of hearing his father's voice somewhere nearby, and as soon as he turned in a curve to the next corridor the black-haired man stopped when he heard Gast's worried voice coming of a closer room.

"Why... why didn't you tell me this before, Grim? I could have helped you! I could have..."

"You couldn't have done anything."

Grimoire's voice answered gently and Vincent frowned, stopping by the closed door.

"No… You waited me to find out through this hidden test!" Gast replied exasperate. "By the gods, Grimoire, we've been friends for years; I _knew_ you were hiding something!"

"I am a scientist like you, my friend... You would conduct the research for the same things I've researched and find the same answers as I found, and so far there is nothing to be done."

"And what about your son? And Lucrecia?" A brief pause and Gast continued in a low voice. "You didn't tell them anything either..."

Grimoire laughed softly.

"This is a special night, Gast; it's a celebration party. I will not talk any more about this tonight. Lucrecia has just gotten her doctorate and Vincent seems to be having some fun doing something different; if he's not working he is at home, and you don't know how hard it is to try to convince him to get out a little to live his life. Let the two enjoy the night and let us both too."

"We're not done with this yet, Grim." Gast warned him.

Vincent lifted his face and immediately walked away from the door to the opposite side of the corridor when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the place; adopting a natural posture and acquiring the sober countenance of a mere passer-by, the Turk quickly stepped back, and turning on the curve of the corridor, he found Lucrecia who surprised also stopped as soon as she recognized him.

"Vincent!" The woman smiled with genuine contentment. "I thought I wouldn't meet you again after dinner; I didn't imagine there would be so many people at the graduation ceremony!"

"You were being very solicitous; I tried to approach you before, but I couldn't." The dark-haired man replied.

Lucrecia shook her head in exasperation.

"I'm glad to see that my thesis work has pleased my colleagues, but they spent the entire night asking me questions and I'm not accustomed to this kind of attention... I confess I came up here to get some breathing."

Vincent smiled amused.

"I can understand their enthusiasm." He told her. "I watched your presentation and I must say that I was impressed by the discoveries you showed us. The possibilities of knowledge about the origin of the universe are fascinating, the theory about Chaos and Omega and the role they play in the flow of Lifestream is innovative. I'm sure your thesis will contribute in some way to the advancement of science in the future."

Lucrecia blushed at the compliment; although she had listened to the praise of her colleagues earlier, none of them seemed to touch her as much as his sincerity. The Turk observed her softly and added.

"The way you countered those scientists took a lot of courage; if I'm not mistaken, I think they are senior members of the Science Department."

"I was blank completely at that moment!" The brown-haired woman confessed in a low voice. "I thought that I wouldn't be able to find words to defend my work..."

Watching him, she took one of his hands.

"But I remembered the advice you gave me in the tower and somehow inside me I was able to find the exact words and the strength that I needed."

"I never doubted you could do it." He told her softly and Lucrecia smiled brightly.

"Thank you."

He nodded and snorted.

"Congratulations on your achievement, Dr. Crescent."

"Hey, don't call me that!" The scientist exclaimed, laughing sheepishly.

At this moment, entering the corridor to return with his friend to the main hall, Grimoire Valentine stopped when he found his son and his former student talking ahead, and looking at the contented look on the man's face, the genuine smile the woman's lips and their joined hands, the scientist suddenly widened his crimson eyes and slowly a small amused smile of understanding began to appear on his lips.


	13. Act II - Unveiled

Greetings to you all! Sorry the delay; college will get me busy this next semester with extra courses, but I will stop here once a while to keep going with the story, don't worry. I hope you like it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 _"I... It was all my fault. I didn't mean for your father to die. I couldn't..._

 _I'm so sorry..."_

Lucrecia Crescent - FFVII: Dirge Of Cerberus

†

 **Unveiled**

Patiently he waited, living the days and months that passed as fast as the continuous drop of the fine sand of an hourglass; the time ran its course and in his mind Vincent glimpsed the countdown to the arrival of that fateful date.

During that time, he had carefully planned all the details and contrary to what had happened in his old past, the Turk had decided to keep working without asking or taking vacations just so that he could guarantee the possibility of being home in the exact month he wanted; that made his colleagues call him a workaholic as much as his father and he just shrugged it off without giving it much importance, although it did cause some surprise when the black-haired man finally showed up at the Turks command center to request his vacation with five months in advance of the desired period _,_ and he found no difficulty in achieving exactly what he wanted.

Vincent didn't tell his father at first, preferring to keep that information to himself; when the last day's work was finally over and he arrived home, the Turk found the scientist going from one side to the other carrying objects and papers and storing them inside a box, set close to others already closed and prepared.

Arching an eyebrow, already knowing the reason for that unusual behavior since he had experienced the same situation before, Vincent threw himself on the couch and dropped his dark suit and tie on a nearby chair; leaning against the seat, he inquired his father casually.

"We're moving out and I didn't know it?"

"No." Grimoire laughed lightly; the older man paused for a moment to rest and looked at his son. "I'll have to take a short trip to conduct some tests in an experiment that Lucrecia and I found a few months ago."

Nodding in understanding, Vincent asked.

"Will Lucrecia accompany you?"

"Yes." The scientist replied.

"And where are you going?"

"Nibelheim." Grimoire said, resuming his activity of putting things inside the boxes. "There is a very good laboratory on the subterranean of a mansion that belongs to the Shinra Company and we were given the permission to conduct the experiment there. We shouldn't take more than a week at first."

The Turk made a sound of acknowledgment and then remained silent for a few minutes, watching his father while the older man with obvious contentment carried on with his task. His eyes took on a shadow of distant remembrances that took him to that very moment in his past; the conversation had been a little different, since he hadn't met Lucrecia at the time, but the dialogue had ended at the same point; with his father informing him that he was leaving for Nibelheim.

That day had been the last time he had seen his father alive.

Grimoire, who had finished closing the box, glanced again at Vincent and stopped when he noticed the other's circumspect countenance and his crimson eyes became worried.

"Son? Is everything okay?"

The younger man raised his head suddenly, as if awakened from a reverie; smiled at his father and spoke.

"Yes, it is." And pointing to the boxes, he added. "Would you like company?"

Grimoire raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that?... What about your work?"

"Today was my last day; I'm on vacation."

The scientist shook his head and rested his hands on his waist, inquiring incredulously.

"Are you on vacation?! How do you get vacations and don't tell me?!"

"Well..." The younger shrugged. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

Vincent stood.

"So... Do you still have room for one more in your group? I cannot contribute as a research scientist, but I can pretend to be your bodyguard."

"But of course!" The older man exclaimed and a broad smile brightened his countenance. Grimoire approached and embraced the other man, genuinely pleased. "It's a great opportunity for us to travel together! I don't think we ever went out for a trip somewhere outside of Midgar with my schedule full in the labs and you're busy with the Turks."

"I would enjoy it also." Vincent smiled.

"Then go get your things sorted out right now! We'll leave tomorrow morning." Grimoire gently pushed him towards the staircase.

...

"I can't believe you'll be able to come with us!" Lucrecia spoke pleasantly surprised when she heard the news in the morning. "How did you convince them to let you? I've heard that the Turks Department was difficult to get something out of their stipulated schedule."

"I have my ways." The man smirked lightly and picked up her bags to carry them to the waiting helicopter.

"How many days can you stay with us?" The woman inquired curiously.

"All week." Grimoire laughed with amusement. "He managed to take vacations and only told me yesterday about it."

"Are you on vacation?!" Lucrecia exclaimed in surprise and Turk nodded in agreement, also amused.

"My father said it in that same tone when I told him; what's so bad about me having vacations?"

The woman didn't listen to the question; her face was radiant.

"But this is great!"

"Because…?" Vincent asked her, extending his hand to help the scientist climb onto the aircraft.

Lucrecia waited for him to sit beside her while Grimoire took the vacant seat next to the pilot in the front.

"I didn't mention during the presentation my thesis, but I have a way of proving that everything I said is true." The brown-haired woman continued; her eyes gleamed with animation mixed with mystery.

"Prove it?" Vincent muttered, feigning surprise. "You are talking about Chaos and Omega?"

"That's right!" Lucrecia said with conviction. "I'm glad you can come with us because you and your father were the ones who supported me the most in my project and if everything goes according to plan in these experiments, I want to share the results first with you before showing it to the Department of Science."

The black-haired man nodded understandingly and gave a faint smile.

"It flatters me you decided to share this with me too... Thank you." He told her honestly.

The woman smiled back and Grimoire caught their attention with amusement barely contained in his voice.

"Get ready, you two! We're taking off."

...

 _Nibelheim..._

The name of the city arose in his mind in the form of a whisper that in his remembrances came loaded with traces of fire and ashes. Contrary to the pleasant feeling he'd had when he'd been in Corel, to see Cloud, Tifa and Sephiroth's hometown again as the quiet village it'd always been, now in front of his eyes it was like seeing a ghost town emerge from the heavy shadows of his memory bringing back pain, regrets, grief, death and suffering.

The midday sun rose in the sky over the mountains illuminating the city that overflowed with life; people were walking the streets coming and going to their destinations and a group of children played animatedly with a ball, kicking it across the center square.

The small group disembarked near the limits of Nibelheim and with the help of local residents contracted by Shinra, they unloaded the equipment into a vehicle; Grimoire was talking to an acquaintance about the local climate while Lucrecia inspected the cargo handling.

Vincent watched the city's entrance with a distant glance and unconsciously walked a few steps and stopped in front of the great wooden arch that welcomed visitors to Nibelheim. He touched the dark pillar with one of his hands and closed his eyes.

 _...He held her hands, warm and soft against his calloused ones by years of military training; she was trembling and he tried to steady her._

 _"I'm so sorry..." The woman whispered and raised her face with great cost to look back to him, embarrassed; the tears slid abundantly across her face and he felt himself broke internally._

 _He wanted to be able to take that sadness away from her; he didn't blame her for what had happened. All he wanted was for her to be happy and to see her smiling face once more._

 _The scientist suddenly shoved him hard and before he could react, their hands parted and she ran away..._

"Vincent?" He opened his eyes feeling the air weigh in his lungs as one hand also settled gently on his shoulder.

The Turk looked up and his gaze met Lucrecia's; the scientist frowned, evidently concerned.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"It's nothing." The black-haired man brushed it aside, shaking his head. "It is a hot day; I think the heat is starting to affect me."

The woman nodded in agreement and suggested.

"Your father went ahead to take the equipment to the manor, I think we'd better go too, it's cooler inside and I'm sure you'll feel better."

The Turk raised his face, his crimson eyes prying at the sight of Shinra's large manor towering further over the village houses, and he discreetly swallowed dry.

It stayed the same as he remembered it; an old building that looked vaguely like a small castle, with high walls of white stone that had darkened with time, a black and pointed roof that raised upward and long dark stained glasses that made it impossible to see anything inside.

 _The manor of despair..._

Vincent took a deep breath and forced his next words to come out neutral.

"Yes... We should get inside."

Realizing that the man didn't look quite well, though he tried to hide it, Lucrecia didn't insist on questioning the real reason for his discomfort but she leaned into his arm and took his hand firmly, and ignored the look of surprise that he threw in her direction as she began to walk down the street towards the old mansion.

Vincent followed her in silence without being able to stop staring at their joined hands; he thought about how life might still surprise him even after all that had happened, for in a distant reality he had held this woman's hands to see her pull away from him, and now she held his hand as if she could somehow perceive his uneasy, wishing to offer him comfort.

The man turned his gaze to the road ahead and internally enjoyed the pleasant sensation of her presence by his side; in a low voice he told her after a few minutes.

"Thank you."

Lucrecia just smiled in response.

They walked slowly through the busy streets, across the square and away from the center of the city to follow the stone road that led to the mansion; the old building stood in full view before them, and its black gates were open as if in a silent invitation.

...

Inside the mansion the two scientists and Turk had the entire estate for them as soon as the workers finished unloading equipment in the lobby and left the place; Vincent helped Grimoire carry the boxes to a nearby room while Lucrecia opened some of the stained glass windows to allow the sunlight and the breeze to enter e and aerate inside.

They spent the first hour organizing their personal belongings in the rooms they would occupy in their stay, and during that time the brown-haired woman talked to her former teacher about the possibility of them starting the experiment processes late in that same day; while Grimoire thought it best to start only the next morning, the other's scientist insistence gradually convinced him and he finally gave in, for he also wanted to find out more about Chaos essences.

Oblivious to the uneasy of their third companion, they both entered a few hours later in the corridors of the underground laboratory while Vincent followed them a few paces away; with a serious countenance the black-haired man watched the familiar scenario around him, recalling the months he had spent there as the bodyguard of Hojo and Lucrecia's team during their research on the Jenova project, and he was assailed by the harsh memories of the sad events that had occurred there in his past.

The mansion brought him great discomfort and the labs only intensified that feeling.

Dipped in his remembrances Vincent unconsciously raised his hand and touched his left arm; he was amazed for a moment not to find the gauntlet but to feel the soft flesh, and Grimoire's and Lucrecia's laughter plucked him from the torpor of his reveries to bring him back to the present, reminding him that that nightmare hadn't happened and that both were alive and well.

It was his father's voice saying his name that made him start to pay attention to their conversation.

"... Vincent will join us in the experiment!" The older man laughed lightly. "After so many years trying to convince him to spend some time in the labs with me to show him that science doesn't bite, we finally managed to drag him with us today! Did you see how miracles really exist even though they are not proven by scientific methods? "

Lucrecia laughed and added.

"He's on vacation, after all."

Shaking his head, the Turk for the first time spoke as they entered a preparatory room.

"You're making a big case of this, Father."

"He's told me about this a few times." The woman glanced at him as she also stared at the radiant countenance of her former teacher, finding the attitude extremely funny and adorable.

"It's an important achievement for me." Grimoire defended himself, feigning indignation, and the younger man shrugged though Lucrecia saw a fond smile emerge on Vincent's lips.

In the preparatory room Vincent imitated the two scientists; after hygienizing his hands with specific products, he dressed a white coat that the woman handed over to him, and when the Turk realized he noticed his father standing a few paces away, watching him with a smile on his face.

"What is it?" Vincent asked, and Grimoire laughed and shook his head.

"Before we are finished for the day I need to take a picture of you; this is something unusual that I'm sure I will not see again so soon." The older man tapped the younger's shoulder and said with fondness. "My scientist son."

"Only in your dreams, Father." Vincent teased, amused.

The small group left the preparatory room to enter the main laboratory that Grimoire had chosen to conduct the experiment; the Turk's sober countenance darkened and his serene smile left his face completely. Although he had quickly viewed the new setting, Vincent's crimson eyes were fixed on a single spot.

"It's already here," Lucrecia said pleasantly, approaching the large tube filled with the greenish fluids from the Lifestream that maintained its precious charge stable; a black sphere made of layers of dense energy that moved tenuously, almost imperceptibly.

The woman touched the glass surface and frowned.

"This is just one of the essences that we've found. Where's the other one?"

"Still stored in the security chamber," Grimoire replied. "Since they are extremely unstable energies and this type of experiment has never been done before, I think we should start with just one of them."

"I think one must be enough."

The woman nodded and walked towards a panel and proceeded in turning on the equipment; the screens lit up and in a few seconds showed a series of data about the tube's content; the scientist began working on the information, typing numeric sequences on the panel's keyboard while Grimoire watched the screens with close attention.

"Let's start with a full scan to check the level of stability and then we'll begin the energy's infusion in 10%." The man spoke and the woman immediately started the process as instructed.

Vincent, still standing near the laboratory's entrance, showed no desire to approach the tube or his father and friend to inquire about the procedure; he was completely engrossed by the black sphere that was completely unlike anything he had encountered before.

The essence of corrupted energy seemed to call him imperceptibly to the other two in the room, but to him it was like a calling that grew stronger and ever more insistent, and the man felt that something within him yearned to respond to that desire; vaguely remembering Guildark's teachings, totally abstracted by that sensation, Vincent realized with astonishment that _he_ himself _wanted_ to take the black essence to himself.

The vibrations invisible to human eyes increased as the infusion of the experiment was magnified and the black-haired man shuddered, feeling the great power contained within the sphere; the power of Chaos, _his_ power.

Vincent suddenly closed his eyes, leaning against the wall and bringing a hand to his face, breathing hard; his chest contracted and seemed to tighten and he felt himself as unstable as the essence that began to show signs of imbalance when the infusion reached 40%.

Without noticing the sudden malaise of his son, Grimoire aproached Lucrecia with apprehension in his countenance; his crimson eyes constantly shifted from the tube to the woman.

"Don't you think you are taking this a little too quickly?"

"And why not? All those people at Shinra who laughed at my thesis…" Lucrecia shook her head; the experiment was going well, there was no reason in stopping now. "I _have_ to prove them wrong!"

"Rushing into matters will get you nowhere, Doctor." He quietly called her by her title with the fondness of a parent as he used to do sometimes when both were alone in the labs, and concerned lashed on his features when the ball black energy suddenly expanded, filling the tube's interior completely.

Lucrecia stared at the sudden information that showed on the screen and immediately stood to look at her experiment; the essence of Chaos acquired terrible force and the glass of the tube began to crack fast. The woman froze; pale and completely unresponsive to the disaster that was about to happen.

"Look out!" Grimoire ran to his former student, and Vincent opened his eyes.

The glass exploded and the fragments flew through the laboratory in a deafening crash and Grimoire shoved Lucrecia out of the way before the force of the propulsion also made him lose his balance and fall on the floor next to the woman.

Instinctively the scientist embraced his former student and waited for the worst, but when seconds later nothing happened and only the insistent beeping of the monitoring machines filled the room, dominated by the red light of the 'warning' message displayed on the screens, Grimoire slowly opened his eyes and raised his face, still shielding Lucrecia in his embrace, and the man gasped when he saw the black energy of Chaos's essence hovering above them like a vast dark curtain.

Although its energy fluids collided with each other furiously it didn't advance against them or against the equipment in the laboratory, and extremely confused Grimoire raised his attention beyond the corrupted fluids and found his son standing closer to them; with his hand extended in the direction of black energy, his body radiated a strong red-red aura that seemed to vibrate in tune with the essence.

But what frightened Grimoire deeply was the other man's eyes; an inhuman angry yellow that had a feral and predatory glow.

The scientist let out a shaky breath; he realized that it was precisely his son's presence that prevented the essence from colliding with him and Lucrecia and destroying the whole laboratory.

"Vincent..." Grimoire called to him in a weak whisper and Turk directed his attention to him; there was a glimmer of recognition and sobriety in those supernatural eyes, and it was at that moment that Grimoire realized that his son _knew_ _exactly who_ he really was.

With complete control over his own essence, Chaos's reincarnation clenched his fist and the scientist immediately sensed his intention.

"Vincent! No!" He shouted but the other did not listen.

Vincent, with a quick movement of his hand, called to himself all the accumulation of corrupted energy and the essence collided violently against him and was absorbed completely by his body; he was brutally hurled across the room and fell several meters ahead completely inert.

Grimoire was overcome with great fear; he disengaged himself from Lucrecia, who sat down on the floor completely confused and disoriented, and the scientist ran to the unconscious man, kneeling beside him and holding him in his arms.

"Vincent! Vincent! "

He called desperately, touching his son's face with trembling hands, but the other man didn't respond.

"Vincent! Please, wake up! Vincent! "

Lucrecia as soon as she became aware of the setting around her, she saw Grimoire holding Vincent with a look of concern and fear so great in a way that she had never seen in him, and her heart tightened; she saw no trace of the essence in the laboratory and the pale face of her unconscious friend made her eyes widen, realizing what had happened.

Immediately standing she took a collector from her desk and knelt beside the two men, she quickly gathered a sample of Vincent's blood and walked away; Grimoire, stunned by worry, almost didn't realize what the woman had done, but coming to his senses, he inquired sharply.

"What are you doing, Lucrecia?!"

"He took the full impact of the essence to himself, Grimoire; we need to see what's going on with him and if there's any way to stop Vincent's organism from suffering severe damage," She responded breathlessly. "We have to act now!"

The man's crimson eyes widened when he saw that she was going to insert the blood sample into the computer.

"No! Do not do it!" He exclaimed in awe; the woman observed him confused after inserting the sample for analysis and the red warning sign disappeared from the screen, quickly revealing the result.

Lucrecia's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

It was a DNA sequence of advanced chains that only in her craziest theories discussed with her former professor she had imagined the possibility of its construction like a part of the genetics of a civilization that many centuries ago no longer existed; the black fluids penetrated the structure and merged with it, sealing itselves against the currents permanently, and when all the energy was absorbed, something that shouldn't have lasted more than ten seconds, in front of their eyes it returned to the shape of a chain of any ordinary human being, revealing health and free from any remnant of the dark essence or the other DNA sequence.

Slowly Lucrecia pushed herself away from the panel and sat back in her chair, her brown eyes peering at the other scientist again.

"Your son... is a Cetra...?" She inquired in a weak and incredulous whisper.

Grimoire put his head in his hands and wondered how on Gaia he would explain _that_.


	14. Act II - Aftermath

Greetings to you all! College has kept me busy, but here we go on steadily and surely. I hope you like it and once again thank you for reading it.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

†

 **Aftermath**

Grimoire Valentine sighed discreetly, frowning; his worried gaze was fixed on his son's face, pale and serene, lying on a bed and immersed in an apparent deep sleep. The modest room on the top floor of the Shinra manor lay immersed in shadows that danced unformed by the light of a lamp placed on a nearby table, and from the window it was possible to see the lights of the small town of Nibelheim begin to fade slowly before the arrival of the night for the rest of its inhabitants _,_ and the almost absolute silence prevailed on the deserted dependences of the old building.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, the black-haired scientist reached out and gripped the Turk's left hand, and in his heart he weighed the long years of research he had done on Chaos mingled with the love he felt for the other man, both presented on a difficult and even heartless reality of which he only became completely aware when his deep knowledge about the Ultimate Weapon finally collided with Vincent in an undeniable and convincing manner.

And never before had he felt such great fear seize him, for hours had passed and his son hadn't shown any reaction.

Gently he stroked the younger man's hand, feeling his own trembling and cold against the other's skin, and closing his eyes Grimoire held the tears that insisted on wanting to slide down his face, and it was at this very moment that Lucrecia timidly entered the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

She looked at her former teacher; the scientist was extremely dejected while her friend still remained inert on the bed, and her countenance filled with pity and equal concern. Approaching them with silent steps, she set down a glass of water on the table and laid a hand on the man's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Grimoire lifted his face and nodded at the woman's veiled question.

The scientist stood, drank the water and cast one last glance at the younger man, caressing his face tenderly; Lucrecia waited, without daring to break the silence.

The black-haired man stepped away from the bed and approached the door and Lucrecia followed him; together they left the room and walked silently down the hall to the library, where the scientist finally collapsed into an armchair and let the fire in the fireplace warm his body that had become completely cold with the weight of worry on his shoulders. Lucrecia sat down on a nearby couch and watched her former teacher as she searched for the right words to say to break the uncomfortable silence.

Grimoire sighed discreetly, watching his own hands. He could feel the wave of curiosity emanating from the other scientist, and he could imagine the innumerable questions that ran through her mind from which now he inevitably would have to answer, and although he had the subject as something extra personal to himself, as a precious thing in his heart, he was aware that now he would have to reveal the truth to Lucrecia and hope that she kept the secret.

"I found him in the snow twelve years ago..." The man whispered after a few minutes in a low, tired voice. "I was conducting a field research in the north of the frozen mountains of Icicle when I saw him. He was alone, unconscious and almost completely buried by the sudden storm that had arisen over the region."

The scientist closed his eyes and could relive the memories clearly, as if they had just recently happened.

"I never imagined that I would find a boy in that situation; he was in a deplorable condition, torn clothes and extremely debilitated health, I brought him immediately to my research center and took care of him until he was able to recover consciousness. When I finally managed to talk to him I found that the boy didn't have any recollections of who he was, where was his family or what had happened so that he had come to rest unconscious in the midst of a snowstorm."

Grimoire looked up and met Lucrecia's gentle gaze.

"I was lost in what to do." He told her in a whisper. "I tried to look for any signs or clues that could lead me to his family, but there was no sign of people or tracks within a mile of where my base was located, and the boy stayed with me at the research center all the days that followed while I remained in Icicle."

"This place..." Lucrecia spoke for the first time since they'd entered the library. "By the studies that we have it is in theory one of the places where the Cetra had lived centuries ago in the past."

The woman inquired curiously.

"Were you researching the Cetra?" Grimoire nodded in agreement and Lucrecia proceeded. "How did you find out he was one of them?"

The man smiled slightly.

"He was different from how you know him now, Lucrecia… His appearance was remarkably distinct. I did detailed examinations of his blood and compared them to the few and poor fragments of genetic data we had in our database. The result was a perfect match, a complete combination like science has never seen before..."

Grimoire passed his hands on his face and stared at her.

"You glimpsed a small part of it today in the lab... When you saw the real DNA hidden in his blood react to the stimulus provoked by the essence of Chaos."

Lucrecia leaned back against the couch, her gaze gleamed with admiration.

"That... was just incredible..." she whispered and for a moment her scientist side lit up at that unexpected discovery. "For so many years we have been searching for miserable remnants of anything that could tell us more about our origins, about the creation of the universe and about the Cetra, and here now... there _is_ a living being who is a Cetra!"

A broad smile spread across the woman's face and she stood to walk through the library.

"How many things could we find out with Vincent's help?! How many advances science could have with studies carried out from now, not based on assumptions but on real, tangible samples? How many lies could be undone and how many scientists would stop belittling our researches and our efforts of years, to finally show society the collaboration that the Cetra gave us! That the Cetra still exist!"

"I don't care about Shinra's Science Department." Grimoire's voice sounded gentle, but firm and resolute and Lucrecia stared at him with confusion and astonishment.

The black haired man's gaze softened then; Lucrecia was still too young for science and there were many things to be learned, though she was an extremely intelligent and skilled professional, worthy of the academic title she had earned. She wasn't to blame for wanting to delve deeper into the knowledge that the unexpected discovery offered her now, and she wasn't to blame for the flaws in character of most of the scientists with whom she divided the space in the labs at Midgar. He couldn't condemn her awe at knowing that Vincent is a Cetra, but he couldn't allow this knowledge to be revealed to others, just as he too would conveniently keep the second part of the secret related to Chaos's reincarnation only for himself, for her own sake.

Watching his former student with an intense gaze, the scientist spoke.

"Lucrecia... Few professionals really have passion and respect for science… From the esteem you have for Vincent, I know that you would treat him well, but as for our colleagues at Shinra... Could you affirm with 100% certainty that they would do the same, knowing how they are? Would you put your hands in the fire for them? While a few studies to really contribute to the increase of knowledge, most wouldn't hesitate in occur to grotesque and illegal means to self-promote regardless of whether the price to be paid is someone's life."

The woman remained silent; in her mind she remembered the work environment in Shinra's Science Department and some of her colleagues, especially those who laughed and ridiculed the presentation of her thesis and she frowned, unable to contradict her mentor words.

"My dear..." Grimoire said then gently. "When I realized after three months that that boy wouldn't recover his memories and nobody came looking for him, I also realized that I wouldn't be able to just leave him in any city by himself to have his Cetra lineage discovered by someone who could come to use him as an experiment object. So… I found a way to hide his true genetic signature by merging it with my own DNA to protect his true identity and bring him to Midgar with me without attracting unwanted attention and managing to give him a normal life."

The black-haired man stood from his chair and without diverging his crimson eyes from Lucrecia, he proceeded.

"He is unique and he is the last of his race... But first and foremost, Vincent is my _son_. No matter the circumstances of life that brought him to me, he is my son and I love him above any kind of science that may exist in this world." Grimoire took a deep breath. "If I ever have to choose between my son and everything I have built in my career in the Science Department, I won't hesitate for a second to protect Vincent."

Lucrecia watched her former teacher feeling moved by the man's words and reflecting on science and about Shinra the brown-haired scientist nodded slowly in understanding and touched Grimoire's hands. She pondered and questioned in a low voice.

"Vincent... knows? ... Does he remember anything?"

"He doesn't remember anything that happened before I found him in the snow..."

Grimoire replied slowly, for his recent memories brought him to the earlier laboratory incident to his realization that his son knew about Chaos, though he wasn't sure of his son's knowledge of his involvement with the Cetra, and that was something he needed to talk to Vincent alone afterwards. Looking back at the woman he decided to follow the safe route and complemented.

"No... He also doesn't know anything about his Cetra lineage... I ask you to not reveal this to him yet, Lucrecia; there are things I need to consider before I speak to him."

The woman nodded in agreement.

"I understand... I swear I'll keep your secret."

Grimoire nodded; in his eyes there was only gratitude.

 **...**

 _He was back in the stone city; the smoke-clouded sky was totally gray and the ashes plummeted like snowflakes, covering the full extent of the wreckage and what had been left after the inevitable attack. There were no people, only the emptiness and silence of a completely abandoned place._

 _Vincent walked down the main street, past vaguely recognizable locations until he reached the large main square. The warm breeze touched his face with the stench of burning and he automatically proceeded to where he had been with Guildark for the last time. He watched the ground for a long moment. Suddenly the seeming tranquility on the scenery broke and the Turk felt a disturbance in the Lifestream's fluids. Raising his face the black-haired man caught sight of a distant figure emerging amid the ashes and rising from the ground with perverse blue eyes that glared at him with relentless hatred._

Vincent awoke extremely confused, but willing. It was rare the days when he woke up with the sensation of a well night of rest despite the clear memory of the strange dream he just had. He found herself in an unfamiliar room and lingered for a while until he remembered the Shinra manor in Nibelheim.

Sitting up in bed he noticed Lucrecia partially asleep in a nearby chair with her head resting above her arms on the table; as soon as he put his foot down on the ground she noticed the movement and awoke, her brown eyes widening as she perceived him awake.

"Vincent, I'm so glad you finally woke! How are you?" The scientist asked him worriedly.

"I am fine." The Turk frowned; the memory of the recent events returning to him. "We were in the laboratory..."

"Yes, yesterday; there was an accident with the essence we were working on..." Lucrecia paused briefly, remembering her mentor's request, and chose to say only. "You were caught unaware by the explosion."

"My father!" Vincent inquired suddenly, sitting up straight and staring at the woman intensely. "Where's my father?!"

"He's fine, don't worry!" Lucrecia reassured him. "He's been with you all night and now is resting in the next room. We're all fine."

Vincent leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief, the tension built on his shoulders broke and the man sighed at length. He had succeeded; he had altered the past and saved his father. Lucrecia's subtle touch was present on his shoulder as she watched him sympathetically, feeling the same sense of relief that her desire to advance the stages of the experiment hadn't resulted in a terrible tragedy.

"Hey, Vincent... It's okay. Everything is fine."

...

There was something different about him; wasn't visible or tangible, but he could perceive it clearly within himself, though he couldn't explain exactly what had changed.

Vincent closed his eyes.

The essence of Chaos that had burst into his body was there and exuded a sense of power and completeness as strong as he had never felt before while transforming or using his dark power during an emergency.

It was as if he had finally found a part of himself that long since had been lost.

He could feel the Lifestream fluids with even greater clarity, and around him the black-haired man felt the life of the planet pulsate as strong and steady as the beating of a healthy heart. He let himself be led by that sensation for long, silent and peaceful minutes until he was able to perceive the exact moment when a slight disturbance manifested itself in the energies that filled the old manor, recognizing the essence of his father down the hall approaching his room; two minutes later the scientist opened the door and entered.

Their gazes met and Vincent let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding; he watched Grimoire as if it was the first time he was seeing him after so many years of separation and longing. His father was standing there, looking tired and clearly relieved. His crimson eyes, always gentle and fatherly, looked back at him with the same intensity he had always grown accustomed to, and as soon as the scientist made sure the younger man was well, he cut the distance between them and crushed him into a strong embrace.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, son." The elder Valentine scolded in a whisper and Vincent felt him tremble in his arms.

"Forgive me, Father..." He replied in a low voice, embracing back the other man without feeling any real regret in his heart.

He was _alive_ ; his father's presence was the only thing that really mattered to him that moment.

Grimoire pulled away partially and touched the Turk's face with both hands, gazing at him intently with grave concern on his countenance.

"What you did in the lab yesterday was extremely dangerous, it could have cost you your life!" The scientist went on so quietly that only Vincent could hear him due to their distance from each other. "We don't know the real power of these essences, they are extremely unstable and Chaos..."

Grimoire paused, slowly shaking his head. He stared again into his son's eyes in disbelief and apprehension.

"You..." he whispered. "You _know_ about Chaos!"

Vincent turned his head away to look at the floor, but nodded in resigned agreement.

"I know who I am, Father." The younger man replied.

"Since when did you find out? How…?" Grimoire inquired, then, widening his eyes with understanding falling on his countenance, he answered his own questions. "You remembered your past... Didn't you?"

The Turk showed no reaction.

"Vincent..."

Grimoire called out softly and the younger Valentine raised his face to look at him; his crimson eyes showed the undeniable truth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The scientist asked then; in his voice there was a slight hurt for he had been kept in the dark.

Vincent smiled though it did not reach his eyes, filled with the shadows of many years past that his father would never be able to comprehend, for it involved not only the injuries of the present time, but also of another dark and cruel reality.

"Because in my past there is nothing but emptiness." The Turk told him. "My life just started after you saved me, Father... For me it doesn't matter the Cetra, Chaos or anything that might have existed before as a reason for me receiving this life... The only thing that matters to me is the present, right now, where I can have the attitudes and choices for the good of the people who are important to me."

Vincent laid his hands on the scientist's shoulders and whispered.

"You are _my father_... and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Grimoire felt moved and the tears fell back down his face once more; he smiled and embracing Vincent again, he told him.

"Oh, Vincent... How could I be even more grateful to the universe for having you as my son?" He inquired, and sighing, he proceeded with concern in his voice. "About Chaos... I'll still somehow help you figure out the answers to the questions you have."

"It's okay, Father." The younger man said softly, giving him a small smile. "I believe that everything has a meaning... When the right time is come we will find out together."

Grimoire ran his hand over his face to wipe away his tears, still thrilled, but returned the smile; his crimson eyes filled with the brightness of life.


	15. Act II - Bliss

Greetings! Here I bring you another new chapter of my story. Again I want to thank you for coming along and I wish you a great reading, I hope you like it!

About the questions this story is still far away, we are at the beginning yet XD Ifalna and Cobe are important characters and will be more present in the plot in future chapters; we still have a little more ground to walk on, but soon they will appear again. Cobe knows everything.

About this chapter, all that I may say is that I still have many plans for Grimoire in the future.

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 **†**

 **Bliss**

 _2.5 Years Later_

The wind blew cold and sharp through the mountain range, following the valley towards the southernmost tip of the continent. Breathing softly, feeling the icy air run through his lungs almost like sharp razors, Gast Faremis allowed a broad grin to show on his face, feeling fully refreshed; with the uninterrupted routine of his job and the duties of his current position, it had been a long time since he had been able to conduct field research and now he felt his spirit as happy as a child opening birthday gifts.

Watching the ice-covered scene and the snowstorm sweeping the area, the head of Shinra's Science Department thought that there would be no better place to satiate this longing than in the land of the ancients.

Leaning against the ice-covered wall of the cave's entrance where he and his staff had been sheltering for about an hour, the brown-haired man adjusted his heavy coat and rubbed his hands for a source of heat, and blowing he was amused to see the white smoke formed by the warm air of his body with the extremely cold sight; for a moment he put aside all the logical scientific explanations for the reason for that phenomenon and let himself be carried away by the pleasant sensation of enjoying it only for the simple and beautiful way it was.

Gast lifted his face and looked over his shoulder; his group had set up a temporary camp in the center of the cave, piling the equipment in a corner and making a small bonfire to project heat and light into the environment, at the same time beginning preparations for a meal. Despite the circumstances and the surprise storm, he was pleased with the progress of the expedition until then.

The head of the Science Department returned to watch the landscape for a few more minutes, and at that moment one of his employees approached him.

"I don't know how you can stay here, Dr. Faremis, it's freezing!"

Gast laughed with amusement.

"Nature is beautiful, some of its characteristics are very subtle and others extremely severe, but they are still beautiful in any way."

"Is this what made you decide to become a biologist?" The other scientist inquired curiously.

"I believe so." The brown-haired man pondered. "I've always had this with me."

Gast stopped suddenly; raising his face, he thought he had heard whispers from a voice carried by the wind.

"Dr. Faremis?"

The head of the Science Department looked at his employee.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?" The scientist asked in confusion.

"I don't know..." Gast frowned and looked back at his staff inside the cave. "I thought I heard someone calling ..."

"Maybe it's one of the boys; food must be ready."

The two men returned inside; Gast paused for a brief moment and it was when he noticed that faint, almost inaudible whisper again to go through the inner environment and disappear in the next instant as fast as it had come. The brown-haired man watched his companions; none of them seemed to notice it.

Raising his face, the head of the Science Department came upon a wall of ice that rose high and disappeared into the darkness amid the stalactites of the cave, and staring at it the scientist began to feel a strange eagerness within himself; there was something there, hidden behind.

"Professor Faremis?"

Gast suddenly turned his attention away from the wall to his staff; all the members watched him in silence and the same man he had talked to earlier was standing next to him and touched his shoulder amicably.

"It's everything all right?" He inquired, "You've been standing there for ten minutes…"

Slowly nodding, the head of the Science Department asked.

"Where's my ice pick?"

A woman took the equipment and promptly handed it to him. Gast approached the wall and to the astonishment and confusion of the others he struck the ice. When the initial surprise was overcome by all, the members of the team began to assist their boss and with each new blow a small part of the ice began to crack and give way, and gradually they went deeper and deeper into the hole created by the joint effort.

After several minutes they finally found it.

...

The West Tower was partially shrouded by shadows when they arrived; the sun slowly disappeared at the horizon's borders, showing the last golden shades of farewell to the great Midgar at the end of that day. Vincent walked on the footbridge and stood next to the guardrail, his serious countenance facing the landscape ahead, and the men who accompanied him stopped a few paces away and watched each other uncertainly, awaiting the orders of their commander.

Without looking at them directly, the black-haired man said.

"You may proceed with the patrol to the next sector; I'll meet you in a few minutes."

"Yes sir!" The group saluted and walked away.

Completely alone, the Turk loosened the collar of his shirt and removed the black suit, placing it perfectly folded over the guardrail. The man ran his hands over his sweaty face, and his crimson eyes stared back at Midgar sharply; there was something extremely disturbing manifesting in the chains that formed the Lifestream and that was making him uneasy. At the same time that the sensation was new to him because of the abilities that had awakened in that reality, it was also in a familiar succinct way, and he was certain that he had felt it before in the past, even if not with that clarity.

Vincent lifted his face to the sky and in the night that slowly advanced he glimpsed the shadows of a meteor crossing the blue extension coming from his memories, and in his heart he felt as if a new hourglass had been placed upright and the sands of time began to slide smoothly into a new countdown.

...

Grimoire Valentine entered the main laboratory of the Science Department and stopped at the entrance with both hands resting on his waist; the place for the first time in years was in complete chaos.

Scientists ran from one side to the other carrying huge piles of papers, reports, clipboards and equipment while a high volume of uninterrupted conversations dominated the scene in a mixture of voices from which one could barely understand what was said. All the computers were connected and several screens showed different graphics and readings that every minute were updated with new information, while in the center of the enclosure, disposed inside a giant tube connected to several wires, cables and pipes was the coveted newfound discovery of the head of the Science Department.

Talking about him, Gast was standing above a table and was gesticulating furiously to guide his team, trying to fit a device to the top edge of the tube that needed extreme care of detail; the man's brown hair was messed up, his white coat partially wrinkled and his sunglasses lay crooked on his face, revealing part of his eyes that shone with evident excitement.

It was impossible not to feel the enthusiasm that dominated everyone in the room.

Grimoire went towards his friend; diverted from five scientists who were hurrying with equipment, jumped over two barrels and nearly stumbled over the mismatched wires of a computer, but managed to safely reach his goal. Stopping next to Gast he spoke with humor.

"Looks like you got the gift of the year."

When Gast saw him he jumped from the table and embraced him.

"Grim! I'm glad you're finally here; where have you been all this time? I was barely waiting to show you this!"

The black-haired man stared at the tube, his face pensive.

"Yes... I heard the rumors running through the corridors..." Grimoire looked back at his friend. "I'm taking care of the preparations for Vincent's birthday; I've come to invite you."

"You know I wouldn't miss it for anything, Grim!" The head of the Science Department laughed. "I've always been a regular participant; it's already on my agenda."

The other scientist smiled slightly and then after a brief moment he asked.

"Would there be a little time available on your busy schedule to talk in privacy now?"

"But of course!" Gast slapped him on the shoulder. "Whenever you want, and you know it."

The brown-haired man turned his attention to the lab and with a yell made everyone immediately stop in surprise to watch him startled.

"Okay, everybody! Break for an hour! Go to relieve your heads and breathe a little outside and then we'll continue!"

Slowly the staff left the lab and the movement settled itself until the door closed and only both friends were still inside the room. Grimoire walked to the center and stood near the tube to look closely at the creature of alien features, vaguely resembling a woman with severed limbs, dipped into a slightly bluish liquid.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" Gast commented, standing next to his friend; he took off his dark glasses and put it in his pocket.

"It's not really the first time I see it... I saw before when your staff arrived to Shinra earlier and unloaded it."

"This, Grim, is a discovery of incalculable proportion to science! It is the materialization of our whole history here, visible and tangible." A broad smile spread across Gast's face. "I never imagined that I would have the gift of being the first man to find her..."

"What you mean?" The black-haired scientist frowned.

"It isn't obvious?" Gast inquired excitedly. "She's a Cetra!"

Grimoire stared openly at his friend and wasn't able to contain the incredulity that flashed across his face.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "I mean... What makes you think this... this... thing... is a Cetra?"

"It is not a thing'!" Gast countered slightly offended. "Look at it!" While reading its genetic distribution is difficult to interpret, it has a superior structure of an ancestral being and clearly resembles the human form! We all descend from it."

Grimoire watched him as if he had gone mad.

"I agree it's an interesting study object, but this... it's not possible." Shaking his head, Grimoire walked over to a computer and entered his password to log into the system. "What is the map of the genetic, bone, and blood structure you got in your analysis?"

Gast got hold of another nearby computer and launched the requested information and it was immediately displayed on the largest screen in the center of the room. Grimoire watched them cautiously.

"You know that I've spent more than twenty years of my life researching the Cetra, and now I've been in the process of researching Chaos, Omega and the origin of the universe with Lucrecia."

The screen was suddenly split in two; one side displayed Gast's information about the creature inside the tube, and on the other was the image of a yellowish stone with dark spots.

"This is a sample I found during my first camp research on the northern continent: it is a piece of a sedimentary rock of an ancient structure that was buried near Bone village and is about a thousand and five hundred years old." Grimoire explained. "The interesting thing about this is its composition; it is not only made up of particles of soil, but the dark spots are tiny remnants of tissues from once living beings."

The image on the screen changed and Gast saw the dark spots detach themselves from the stone so they could be presented to him more closely.

"It is not enough to conduct a broad attempt to reproduce life, for the genetic structure is almost completely erased and what you can find here are fragments that are totally scattered."

The image again changed, enlarging to show a part of an extremely complex and unknown DNA chain that exhibited flaws, disruptions, and various blank and misshapen spaces.

"It took me years Gast to only estimate a possibility of re-create how this structure could have been one day." The black-haired scientist continued, typing a new code on the computer that made the image on the big screen change again. "The result of what I got was this."

Gast watched as new symbols emerged and gradually took place in the chain, covering the flaws to form part of a sequence; Grimoire watched the process in silence, the computer now showing them the extremely small sample he had estimated during his research and that only many years later he was able to prove its veracity through his son's original DNA. Although it was only tiny information, it was enough to show the other man the real structure of the Cetra chain without at the same time giving Gast the means to be able to recreate it entirely in the laboratory.

The head of the Science Department stood for a long time comparing the new image to the readings he had performed all day long and there was no denying that they were completely different from each other, and his perplexed countenance slowly broke into deep disappointment.

Gast collapsed on a chair and the papers in his hand fell sprawled and forgotten on the floor; Grimoire looked at him sympathetically and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, my friend... Whatever this being is... It's not a Cetra."

Gast remained silent; his previous animation had disappeared completely.

...

"Are you anxious?" Lucrecia asked him suddenly as she examined the bottles of liquor on the market shelves.

"Why should I be?" Vincent simply questioned her back.

The scientist chose two and put it in the cart, then stopped to watch her friend with her arms crossed.

"Is it your birthday today." She spoke in an obviously. "Soon we are going back to your house and have a party with your closest friends and you will get gifts; of course you should be anxious."

He snorted softly and shrugged.

"I'm too old to be anxious on birthdays."

Lucrecia shook her head in disbelief as they both moved on to the next corridor.

"For heaven's sake, Vincent, you're only turning twenty-six. Stop talking like you're turning ninety."

"Sometimes I feel like it." He mumbled, watching the products with disinterested glances.

"You've been more serious these past few days, more than you usually are, I mean. Do you know what you need?" The brown-haired woman told him, ignoring her companion's grumpiness, she picked up a packet of sugar and threw it at him.

Vincent with quick reflex picked it in middle air and dropped it into the cart, arching an eyebrow.

"Thank you, it's a wonderful gift, I didn't knew I needed it."

Lucrecia smiled with feigned innocence.

"So..." The black-haired man stopped and looked at the cart. "Is there anything else on the list or are we done?"

"That's all your father needed." The woman confirmed, putting the paper in her pocket. "We may go."

As Turk and the scientist walked towards the store's register, Lucrecia looked at him.

"I haven't given you my gift yet; aren't you curious to know what you're going to get? It's a good reason to be anxious."

"I can try." He replied merely; she smacked him lightly on the shoulder with false indignation and a smile escaped his lips.

"You better be because it's worth it."

"If you say so..."

When they arrived at the register they were soon attended, Lucrecia handed the items to the cashier while Vincent took the necessary amount of gil in his wallet to pay. The woman registered the purchase and looked at the scientist with a friendly smile and cordially asked.

"Is there anything else you or your husband needs?"

Lucrecia's eyes widened in surprise and she almost corrected the attendant if she hadn't looked at Vincent first; the Turk was staring at the woman as if she were an alien who had suddenly sprung from the ground in front of them. His calm, sober composure had gone down the drain and the man's face was completely red, and the scientist almost choked.

"It-It's just this! Thank you!" Lucrecia replied quickly, took the bags and pulled Vincent away out of the shop.

As soon as they both stepped on the sidewalk the woman couldn't stand it; she began to laugh loudly and her laughter echoed down the street attracting the curious gazes of some passersby. She tried to stifle her laughter with her hand, but Vincent's countenance watching her as if she had gone mad made a new wave of laughter come over and she miserably surrendered to the mirth.

"Oh my... your face!"

He glared with obvious discomfort.

"I don't know how this... this... could be funny!" He managed to say.

"But of course it's funny! You're so calm and rarely get surprised at anything; I never had seen your reaction to something you really didn't expect."

The indignation mixed with embarrassment was evident on the man's face and he glared at her even more.

"Oh, Vincent, come on, why do not you let yourself live a little, don't you?" Lucrecia laughed softly and wrapped her arm around his. "I'm not offended. Besides, I really had a good laugh."

The man remained silent and they started to walk back towards his house. Glancing at the small smile on her lips and the way she held his arm, the Turk realized that maybe he also didn't mind it at all.

...

Grimoire Valentine stopped near the parapet and watched from the second floor the flow in the main hall of his house; the guests chatting in lively voices mixed with the soft, ambient music were from a few close family friends. He and his son were more reserved people, and for a quiet and pleasant celebration both agreed on inviting only a few guests.

The scientist's crimson eyes searched for Vincent; he found him talking to Lucrecia, Gast, and two other people, and he looked calm with a semblance of sober contentment. The elder Valentine watched them for a long moment, in his mind he thought of how fast time had passed; it seemed as if he had seen that little boy vulnerable and thin reaching to hold his hand, placing full confidence upon him, only to the next moment see a grown man standing beside him.

How many days of joy did they live that had made up for each of the difficulties they had experienced since that fateful encounter at Icicle? How many new experiences and feelings he lived by assuming responsibility for the child, taking him as his son? No matter how many times he found himself in tight spot to keep Vincent's secret hidden, putting his whole life on a scale Grimoire pondered that everything he had passed had given him the happiest moments, and he considered himself a man blessed by the sacred energies that ruled the universe.

Suddenly the scientist closed his eyes and clung to the parapet, struck by sudden brief dizziness that in a few seconds eased and disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Grimoire opened his eyes and saw Lucrecia leaning against Vincent's shoulder to whisper something in his ear and a small smile of amusement emerge from the corner of the man's lips and she withdrew with a nod. At this moment the Turk looked up and met his gaze and after briefly bid farewell to Gast and the others, he climbed the stairs to the second floor and approached his father.

"What are you doing up here alone? We were looking for you."

"Actually I was wishing you to come up here, because I wanted a moment alone to talk." Grimorie wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders and led him down the deserted corridor of the second-floor for better privacy.

"Why so secretive?" The Turk inquired curiously and the scientist laughed lightly.

"It's just some ramblings of an old man I'd like you to hear."

"You're far from old Father." Vincent retorted; they both stopped and he looked at the other man's face. "You still have long years to live."

The elder Valentine just smiled and nodded, he began to say.

"Vincent, when we come at a certain point in life it is natural to begin to think about everything we have done in the past, we are realizing in the present and about what we hope for one day to materialize in the future, and I confess that lately I have directed much of my thoughts for this."

Grimoire paused briefly to organize his reasoning, and the younger man waited patiently observed him, fully understanding what the other was saying; how many times had he himself not done so in the face of so many things that happened, seeking answers to unspoken words and actions not done in the midst of regrets and bitterness?

"What I mean is that as personal achievement I was able to accomplish everything I sought materially and professionally, as an achievement in my personal self-esteem I also achieved this completeness, because I discovered that my inner happiness was always here with me, present through people for whom I have great affection and are my family, Gast, Lucrecia and you ..." Grimoire reached out and touched Vincent's face with tenderness. "Much of what I can say that made me happy in this life was due to you, son. See you today as the man you are... there is no greater pride I could have had than this."

Vincent smiled genuinely and the scientist returned the gesture; no words were necessary to understand what was so clear in their countenances. The Turk closed his eyes and shook his head, and when he opened them again the deep crimson shade had darkened with emotion; he had never heard those words from Grimoire before.

"One thing of which I'm sure is that this, my happiness, in part is also built from your happiness, Vincent." The scientist went on. "And one of the things I've noticed over time is that happiness has been on your side and that you're just missing the first step towards it, and this is my birthday gift to you tonight."

The younger Valentine's face filled with confusion and Grimoire removed a small box from his suit and put it in Vincent's hand; when the Turk opened it, his eyes widened in surprise at the beautiful pair of golden wedding band that glowed softly with the caress of the ambient light.

He stared at his father perplexed, who watched him back with a knowing look.

"I noticed the way you look at her..." Grimoire told him gently. "And in my opinion there is no better choice you could have made. Lucrecia is a singular woman and has a kind and caring soul, but I am suspicious to say it because after so many years working together I practically esteem her as a daughter also."

The scientist laughed lightly and shut the box, closing Vincent's hand around it.

"Think about it, son, but don't take too long." The elder Valentine winked humorously. "Then go and talk to her."

The younger man nodded with a small guilty smile on his lips; he had already been totally stripped of his secret and there was nothing else to be done.

"You never cease to amaze me, Father." Vincent whispered in gratitude, and putting the box in his pocket he embraced the scientist who returned the gesture tenderly.

...

Minutes later the two hosts returned to the main hall and started to walk down the stairs as they talked to join the guests; halfway, however, Grimoire again felt the strong sense of dizziness overtake him; his breathing locked and his vision darkened, he stepped on false and his body collapsed. Vincent, realizing it immediately, his quick reflex made him act in time to pull his father to him. They both fell down the staircase and the younger man cushioned the scientist's fall, who stopped stretched out on top of him.

"Grimoire! Vincent!" Gast exclaimed above the alarmed and worried voices of all and ran with Lucrecia and the others to the two fallen men.

Grimoire felt his head explode with sudden pain that seized his body; he coughed several times and felt the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. Opening his eyes he found his son's white shirt tinged with red and Vincent's gaze fixed on him with deep fright.

 _Grimoire was sick..._ The youngest Valentine suddenly remembered those words so distant in time. _For a long time this disease advanced slowly without him being able to find a cure..._


	16. Act II - Nightmare

Greetings! Wow, this chapter took longer to come out than I had originally planned, sorry for that, but I can promise that the next one will not take so long, since it's almost done. I'm glad you still with me and I wish to you all a prosperous and blessed new year!

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 _"More nightmares will come to me now. More than I previously had."_

Vincent Valentine - Final Fantasy VII

†

 **Nightmare**

Gast stopped in the entrance of one private room inside Shinra's Hospital and leaned against the edge of the door with his arms folded across his chest; his characteristic dark glasses were missing _,_ long forgotten in the pocket of his coat, his face countenance mixed in deep concern and pity.

His best friend was lying on the bed in the center of the room, plugged into several devices that intermittently monitored his heartbeat while delivering strong medications. The black-haired man, visibly exhausted and dejected, kept his head down and was unable to meet the gaze of his former student while she paced desperate and tremulous from one side to another near where he was, completely inconsolable.

"How could you Grimorie?!" She screamed, running her hands over her red face, shaking her head furiously. "How could you hide something so serious?!"

The other scientist remained speechless.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Lucrecia looked at him, and the more her former teacher remained silent, more distressed and uncontrolled the woman became. "You had to have told us and not let the situation get to such an advanced state where the doctors only say that 'there' nothing to be done!'"

Lucrecia threw her arms high and faded into tears that profusely slid down her face.

"I thought you trusted me!" The woman's voice broke. "I would have done everything to help you! I wouldn't have rested until I found the cure! By the gods, there must be something to do... surely there must be something that can be done!"

The brown-haired woman trembled violently and Grimoire lifted his face, in his crimson paternal eyes there was deep sadness.

"My dear... I already have tried many times before..." He said gently.

"There must be something to do..." The woman kept saying quietly to herself several times over with a lost, helpless look. "There must be something to do... No... No... I cannot accept that you will... will..."

She looked back at the man's face and again exploded in a new wave of tears that choked her voice and she got off balance, being immediately supported by Gast who held her so she wouldn't fall. Grimoire stared at his friend, his gaze silently begging for help.

"Lucrecia... Come on... You need to calm down..." The biologist spoke, holding the woman firmly, and slowly began to lead her out of the room so that she could recover and be medicated with some sedative, although he himself was seriously considering in later take a strong drink himself.

They passed by Vincent, who was standing in the doorway, and left the room, leaving both Valentine alone.

Grimoire turned his face away when his son approached and sat down in the chair beside his bed; even though he had good intentions in his heart, he felt ashamed to have concealed his illness for so long and lamented that it had been revealed in such dramatically and frighteningly way. He fixed his attention on the white sheet his fingers messed with nervousness, unable to even muster the courage to break the silence and speak to the most important person to him.

Vincent all the while watched his father in silence, easily noticing the emotions that marked his countenance, and sighing deeply in a calm voice that held no judgment, he began.

"Father... I'd like to talk to you something. I... In all these years, have I ever told you how grateful I am for all you've done for me?"

The scientist raised his face to stare at his son in surprise; he expected to hear anything except those words. Proceeding, Vincent said softly.

"As you talked to me yesterday, I also wish you to hear some words I have for you."

The younger man leaned forward and held in his firm grip one of his father's trembling hands.

"Sometimes I feel like life is going too fast, things appear to be stagnant at one moment and seemed like nothing that could happen in the world would be able to change them, but in the next second everything seems to become unrecognizable. I feel like I had lived long and had seen severe transformations happen too fast, without me having time to act, time to reflect or time to say things that soon would fall into the past oblivion, because the right moment to say them had already passed... And looking at you here, now... I no longer want to feel that I let my life go by without being able to say that I have been able to do everything in my power to live each day intensely as I can."

Vincent closed his eyes and for a brief moment he remembered everything that he had lived with his father in the past and his present life in the new chance that had been given to him, and looking back at the scientist he proceeded, saying everything he wanted to tell Grimoire back then and had not been able to.

"Years passed, Father, and I feel as if I haven't shown you everything I feel for you, how much your presence has made me grow as a person, and how important you are to me. Each word wisely spoken, every teaching, the long hours of patience, the difficult decisions and the great sacrifices you made to ensure that I could have everything I have today... I am grateful for each day, each month and each year that you have been part of my life."

Grimoire brought his free hand to his own face to try to contain the tears that began to slide with abundance; Vincent left his chair to sit on the edge of the bed and wrapped the other man in his arms, feeling him tremble in his embrace. He closed his eyes.

"When I once thought that everything was lost, I saw the light of hope... Now I believe in it once more..." The Turk spoke in a whisper. "I refuse to believe in what the world believes, nothing is impossible. I don't want you to give up."

Vincent looked at his father and smiled softly.

"Nothing is impossible... right?"

The elder Valentine nodded in agreement, not being able to say a word, overwhelmed with great emotion.

"I love you, Father." Vincent told him in a low whisper, like a secret shared only between them, and Grimoire, trembling, embraced him back.

...

When Vincent arrived at the hospital at the end of his shift, early in the morning, he was immediately called by one of the doctors who informed him of the change in his father's condition; due to the fragility and advanced state of the disease, Grimoire succumbed to a deep coma that although left him momentarily stable, it completely shut him out of the real world without any prediction of improvement or return.

As the days went by, Vincent waited, without any change, without any reaction, and watching his father in one of the moments when he was alone with him in the room, the Turk put his face in his hands.

Between suddenly dying in the laboratory accident in the past and slowly dwindling in the present, watching the once healthy and strong man become paler and fragile every day, he really didn't knew which nightmare was the worst.

…

Gast sighed deeply with a distant mind as he absentmindedly turned off the lights of the labs to completely finish that day's expedient. The other employees had already left the company and he was the only one still wandering in the white and desert corridors.

When the light of the penultimate laboratory in the south wing was turned off, the brown-haired man advanced to the last room still lit and stood in the doorway to observe the research center with all the computers and screens connected displaying various information at the same time, various papers and books scattered on every table, and in the middle of that chaos Lucrecia was sleeping sitting in a chair in an uncomfortable position, tired countenance, rumpled coat and messy hair, completely overcome by exhaustion.

The head of Shinra's Science Department sighed and his eyes filled with compassion; since the woman had discovered Grimoire's illness a week ago she didn't stop for a minute, working on all the information, research and theories to try to somehow find the cure that his friend and he himself hadn't been able to find.

That scene had become daily for him.

The scientist entered the room and stood next to the woman; with a gentle tug, he called her.

"Lucrecia."

She shifted and growled, opened her eyes partially disoriented and when she looked at his face immediately realized the situation; she closed her eyes again, tired.

"What time is it?"

"We just locked up." He answered and sat down in the vacant chair next to her. "I know you want his wellbeing... I know you want to find the cure, I also want it Lucrecia... But you also need to take care of yourself. You are so involved in your work that you are barely eating, not sleeping at all. Grimoire doesn't know, for I didn't discuss this with him, but if he did he would disapprove it."

The woman remained silent, but her eyes went through the screens and all the information they displayed with dismay and Gast followed her gesture.

"I cannot blame you, you know..." He went on, running his hand over his face and hair; the man's countenance suddenly became similar to that of the other scientist. "I confess that I'm not in the mood to handle many things right now, he's my best friend."

Lucrecia looked at him and sighed.

"Sometimes I cannot believe this is really happening..." The woman whispered. "Everything I'm doing seems to keep me going in circles and I can't get anywhere, and when I close my eyes... I see him in that hospital, looking like a mere shadow of the brilliant man he truly is."

"I know..." Gast nodded in agreement. "The truth is that we need to rest our mind, try to think of good things to brighten our spirits... And that is precisely what I want to talk to you now. I have a proposal to make."

The woman looked at him with surprise.

"You need to take your head off of Midgar Lucrecia, and I, as I told you, I'm so busy with obligations and full of worries that I can barely muster the mood to handle everything at this moment. One of the things that weighs heavily on me now is about my recent discovery, I am so disappointed with the results that I cannot even find within me will to follow up on the two new projects that were created based on the research I did..."

The man smiled without joy and shrugged.

"With Grimoire in this situation… I don't want to be forced to travel to the other continent, but maybe breathing new air will do you a greater good and it would be one less thing upon me."

"What do you mean?" Lucrecia inquired and Gast stared at her meaningfully.

"I want you to go in my place."

 _…_

It took a week for that day to arrive.

When Lucrecia entered at Shinra's hospital that early evening to visit her mentor, she found Vincent sitting on one of the benches in the hallway where Grimoire's room was located. The scientist watched him briefly; with his eyes closed and his head against the wall, the black-haired man seemed to try to recover some of his rest in one of the few moments he could.

The woman's countenance softened; it had not been an easy month for anyone, especially to her friend, and somehow she knew she would find him there that night.

Approaching the Turk, Lucrecia sat in the vacant place beside him and Vincent opened his eyes to watch her; he had sensed her presence as soon as she had entered the hospital, for just like his father she possessed a distinct energy.

"Hey..." She greeted him softly. "How are you?"

He shrugged; she continued.

"Did he show any reaction?"

Vincent turned his head to look at the closed door of his father's room; his crimson eyes took on a deep shadow.

"Nothing."

Lucrecia sighed discreetly; she could not blame Vincent for his apparent indifference to the whole situation, she still had her parents and she couldn't even imagine what it was like to go through what her friend was going through now, though she was very fond of Grimoire and his current condition deeply saddened her. The scientist watched his hand resting above his knee and laid hers on his.

"I wish I could say he'll be fine." She whispered. "That soon everything will pass and he will wake up, stand from that bed and leave this hospital to go home with us..."

Lucrecia's voice broke and she was silent for a moment; her eyes filled with tears and she had to restrain herself from crying.

"There are no words that can be said, Lucrecia... Nothing that can be done." Vincent spoke to her in a calm voice, but there was bitterness veiled in his words. The black-haired man sighed, ran his hand over his face and forcing himself to pull off his own harshness, he watched her gently. "You... came here to visit him, didn't you? Go... don't mind me, I haven't been very sociable lately."

The Turk encouraged her indicating the closed door, and after the scientist recovered herself, she thanked him and entered the room while Vincent remained where he was, sitting on the bench in the hall. Lucrecia only returned several minutes later, her face slightly reddish and tearful, visibly downcast; she must have cried again during her visit. She stopped next to her friend, took a small dark packet out of her bag and handed it to him.

"Here, it's for you."

Vincent frowned at the object.

"What is this?"

"It's my birthday gift." The brown-haired woman gave a small smile. "I wish I'd given it to you at the end of that night, but with everything that happened later I couldn't deliver it to you at the party."

The man nodded slowly in understanding and opening the package he found a gold bracelet made of metal with engravings of symbols, which Vincent immediately recognized as the ancient cetra dialect, forgotten even by the sacred people after the tragic war against the Calamity that culminated to the near extinction of his entire race. It was an extremely old and authentic piece, supposed to be hundreds of years old and was worn in some small parts but well preserved. Vincent remembered for a brief moment the hidden village of Ifalna, Cobe, and Guildark, of his training, discoveries, and knowledge that he had acquired at the beginning of his second life in that new reality, and in his memories as well he remembered the serpent of fire crossing the valley in the middle of the night and the ashes that covered the ruined stone city at dawn.

He closed his eyes and hid from Lucrecia his momentary imbalance; he stared at her in the next moment and inquired curiously.

"How did you get this?"

"During my doctoral research I participated for a few days in a field research and I found it in an excavation. I'm sure it must be from the cetra..." Lucrezia laughed a little nervously; she shouldn't be touching that subject with Vincent as Grimoire had asked her, and disguising, she went on. "Well... I think it suits you."

Vincent gave a small smile and looked at the bracelet again.

"It's really beautiful and unique... Are you sure you want to give it to me?"

"Absolutely." The scientist agreed.

"Thank you." He thanked her sincerely.

The brown-haired woman stood motionless in front of him, she shifted her foot with nervousness and he immediately noticed that she pondered over some information she wanted to tell him, though she was afraid to do so. He waited patiently until Lucrecia spoke once more.

"Vincent... I came here today to see you too, not just to give you this, but... I came to say goodbye."

The Turk quickly raised his face to stare at her sharply.

"What?"

"I was promoted." The scientist revealed to him. "And I received such an important opportunity in my career that it was simply undeniable. It's a groundbreaking project in science."

Lucrecia laughed softly.

"I have to get on a helicopter shortly because the research starts tomorrow. It's so sudden that I barely had time to pack my things!"

The black-haired man stood up; though he still held the bracelet, the object was completely forgotten in his suddenly cold hands.

"Where are you going?" He inquired so gravely in his voice that it surprised the scientist with her friend's sudden seriousness.

"To Nibelheim." Lucrecia answered him. "The only thing I didn't like much is that it looks like a long project and I think I'll be off the continent for a few months, but if there's any break period I'm sure I'll come back to Midgar to visit you, I believe that Professor Hojo will have no objections..."

The woman stopped short; frowning, her eyes became worried.

"Vincent, are you okay? You've became pale."

The Turk remained silent; the last years with his father and Lucrecia had passed quietly, and suddenly it seemed that the time given to him had passed too quickly. He hadn't seen when the present began to merge with the previous reality timeline and now the scientist's imminent departure for what he knew would destroy her completely made him freeze where he was standing. As much as Guildark's wise words came back to him from the memories when he saw the bracelet, reminding him that some goods should happen to let certain events occur naturally until fate gave the precise moment to act, Vincent breathed deeply and closed his eyes, for he couldn't simply accept it without saying anything to try to warn Lucrecia of the danger she was running blindly into.

"You shouldn't go." He said "No matter how much this proposal seems irrefutable."

"Is this something to make me stay in Midgar?" Lucrecia asked, chuckling softly, but Vincent's countenance did not waver in its seriousness.

"This project will not bring you the recognition or the success you desire for your career, and so little will bring you joy for your spirit."

The smile on the woman's face slowly disappeared, and she stared at her friend uncomprehendingly.

"Vincent, I cannot refuse something like that..."

"Lucrecia..."

He continued in a bitter voice, turning his face away to look back at the bracelet; the memories of everything that had happened between them came back clear to him. The black-haired man again stared at the scientist directly in her eyes.

"If you go to Nibelheim, you will find only pain and suffering."

The brown-haired woman frowned; she was genuinely surprised by her friend's sudden disapproval. She had been expecting that because at the good news he would be supporting her, not this.

"Why are you so adamant on me not to go to Nibelheim?" She inquired in a whisper in which she could not hide the resentment in her voice.

Vincent frowned; how to explain to her all the things he knew about a destroyed world that no longer existed?

"I do not feel good about this." The Turk chose to respond. "I'd rather you stayed at Midgar with me."

Lucrecia remained silent, uncertain about what to say or even think about it. She knew that her friend had a kind of connection with the energies of the planet, perhaps from his occult and special background, something she had already become accustomed in past years, and she knew that he would never lie or play with something so serious, it was not his profile. In return, Vincent was literally asking her to throw away the best opportunity she had won in her career since she received the PhD title.

It was a decision that only fools would take.

At that moment their conversation was interrupted when a man inside the corridor stopped and stood a few feet away from them; Lucrecia recognized the car's driver who brought her to the hospital and he signaled his wristwatch, it was when the woman realized that if she stayed longer she would be late for the helicopter's departure time.

"Lucrecia, please… Stay with me here." The Turk insisted.

The scientist watched Vincent again and he met her gaze, his crimson eyes were serious but also possessed a shadow of sadness, for he had already noticed in her countenance that his words were in vain and that she wouldn't go back on her decision, dazzled by the promises of success that her career could give her.

Lucrecia took a step forward and embraced him tightly and he returned the gesture automatically.

"I'm sorry, Vincent, I cannot stay..." She told him and broke the contact on the next minute. "But don't worry, I'm sure everything will be fine, and I promise that in my spare time I'll continue the search for your father's cure."

She gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and a confident smile lit up her face.

"We'll see each other again soon."

The black-haired man remained silent, merely nodding his head in agreement; his crimson eyes accompanied the woman until she and the driver were out of the hallway and he returned to watch the bracelet in his hands with the certainty that that critical moment that had completely collapsed his life in the past had finally arrived to confront him.


	17. Act II - Lament

Greetings! As I promised earlier, here is the next chapter!

With this we come to the end of the second part of my story; it is a slightly shorter chapter as it is a complement to Nightmare, but its content is important for future scenes.

For those who are accompanying this fanfic for a while, you must have noticed the change I made in the index, changing the 'numbers' to 'acts'. I found this way easier to separate each period of my story, since it is very long and will go through several moments of the games.

Act III will begin in the next chapter and yes, it will portray the entire period of Vincent, Lucrecia and Hojo in the Shinra manor. I confess that Act III has always been one of the most awaited scenes for me, because since from the first time I played Dirge of Cerberus I always wanted to rewrite this period of the game's plot with some modest modifications of mine. I hope the result is satisfactory!

I wish you a great reading!

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 _"Tell my son... that I'm sorry..."_

Grimoire Valentine - FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus

†

 **Lament**

 _The rain fell calmly and steadily that autumn morning; the soft sound of raindrops punishing the soil echoed in solitude as the world around him succumbed to complete silence._

 _One by one the people of the small crowd gathered there began to walk away, and passing by him, some of them would utter phrases of condolence while others would only put a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort; some he vaguely recognized, others he was barely able to remember, but to all the black-haired man stood motionless and indifferent in his handsome black suit of his fully wet uniform while the water dripped abundantly across his pale face._

 _In that moment where words were said to soon only to be lost in the wind, he stared at the gravestone with an unreadable countenance, unable to believe that the name on it was really his father's._

 _It seemed totally surreal; it hadn't been two days since they were together, walking down the aisles of Shinra's main building and talking about the scientist's plans for the coming vacation. He wanted to visit the northern continent, to see the mountains of Icicle and the beautiful landscape that stretched between the hills and the valley, and Vincent smiled bitterly when he remembered his father's insistence that he too should accompany him. He wasn't very fond of the icy climate and wouldn't travel there by himself, but he had yielded to the other man's request when he saw in his father's eyes how important that would be to him. They said goodbye and the scientist entered the Science Department and the door had closed after he passed._

 _That was the last time he saw him._

 _The Turk took a deep breath and the air that entered his lungs was sharp and insufficient to quell the pain growing inside him._

 _His mind was empty; he wasn't able to think or care for anything else at that moment, standing alone by the stone. It was as if his body had received a great deal of anesthesia and was no longer able to feel any physical symptoms, only the severe sadness that abated his spirit. His lips felt a bitter taste and only then did the man realize that he was crying silently, his tears mingling with the rainwater that gently touched his face._

 _Vincent closed his eyes, his cold hands clenched into fists with one of them holding the red handkerchief his father used to always use until his fingers became white and trembling. He thought those words carved into the stone were empty, devoid of feelings and didn't show with truthfulness all that his father had been and how much humanity had lost with his departure._

 _At this instant the man lifted his face and stared ahead at the desolate scene, and from the trees in the distance his crimson eyes perceived the figure of an unknown woman partially hidden in the shadows, watching him with brown eyes filled with sadness and regret. Their gazes met and the next moment she turned away and ran._

 _..._

Vincent awoke with a start, feeling the thin air in his lungs. The man immediately sat on the bed and put a hand to his chest that ached and seemed to burn as much as the pain that had afflicted him that day in his past.

It was not just a nightmare, but a memory; one of the bitterest memories he'd carried with him all his life. He had never forgotten... But it was only after many years that he had realized that the unknown woman he had seen was Lucrecia. Turning his trembling hands over his face, the black-haired man thought they weren't so different from each other; she was assailed by the remorse for the loss of her teacher and him himself later were assailed by the remorse for his loss of her.

The Turk lifted his face and watched his room where the only illumination came from the window; though the night sky was covered by thick layers of clouds and a steady and calm rain fell, yet the outer environment seemed to provide greater clarity than the shadows that inhabited the small enclosure and the man's mind.

Vincent closed his eyes and frowned.

Remembering his father's current state and the sad remembrance he had dreamed, his heart squeezed with grief and he raised his hands to his face, feeling once again the same sensations he had felt that day, and suffocated, the Turk suddenly stood from the bed.

Making a decision, the black-haired man quickly donned a casual outfit and a jacket and grabbing the car keys from the table he opened the door and left.

...

The night shift was one of the best shifts to work on her opinion; while the days were long and extremely busy with the interrupted circulation of patients, visitors and staff, the nights were considerably calmer and only the sound of the heart rate monitors in the more distant rooms echoed gently down the corridors of the extensive north wing of Shinra's Hospital.

At that moment the nurse was at the reception, sitting next to her few colleagues who also shared the same shift. She had finished her pending tasks earlier and now enjoyed the minutes of calm, accessing the company's computer to read absent-mindedly an interesting horror fanzine she had just found on the internet.

So intricate was the plot that when the entrance door opened so suddenly she jumped out of the chair with great fright and almost fell face down on the floor. Her colleagues began to laugh and the woman blushed with embarrassment; she was still half-awkward when her eyes found the newcomer and the nurse immediately recognized the man with dark hair, watching her with neutrality.

"Mr. Valentine?" She inquired in surprise, standing; although the Turk's presence in the north wing was frequent, it was the first time he had entered that place at such a late hour.

"I came to see my father." He spoke simply.

The woman nodded in understanding; although the visiting hours were limited to the open public, as a direct employee of the company and the patient's direct companion he had access whenever he wished, and the nurse indicated the length of the corridor ahead.

"Unfortunately there is nothing new to tell you; he remains the same way you saw him last time and his current state is stable."

The Turk remained silent; he merely nodded in a slight acknowledgment and strode down the passage. In a few minutes he crossed the distance between the entrance and his father's room and without delay entered the enclosure, closing the door behind him.

The scene was partially plunged into darkness; with the rain falling steadily through the window, the monitoring devices blinked gently every second to show the rhythmic beat of the man's heart while he remained lying on the bed. His black hair was misaligned, scattered on the white pillow, pale rosy-cheeks, eyes closed, his breathing quiet and arms resting on the covers of light sheets. His father was still immersed in the same deep, steady coma sleep without any prediction of when he would be able to open his eyes again.

Vincent approached the bed and sat on the edge of the bed and for a long time he stared into the scientist's face, holding his father's hands gently and steadily, watching his still fingers interlaced with his own without any reaction. Though the silence that hung in the room was absolute, his head held so many thoughts that he could scarcely accompany them. He remembered the years they spent together in the other reality cut so abruptly with the incident of the laboratory and also remembered the years they lived fully in that current existence.

He couldn't believe that in that life he had been given as a second chance to change the world, he was unable to change his father's destiny, forced to sit down in front of him and watch him die slowly from the sickness without being able to do anything to stop it. What good was for him to know the past and the future and to have the power of creation if he couldn't do anything to fight for the life of one of the persons he loved most.

He felt as weak and helpless as when he had returned to the cetra village and found it completely wiped out and had held Guildark's body in his arms, also forced to watch him depart with nothing that could be done to prevent it. Vincent closed his eyes and felt a great revolt grow within him, mingled with a pain and grief so strong it seemed that he would break his soul into pieces.

And when his heart was completely overwhelmed by that feeling, his memories brought back the wise words of his dear friend in a familiar, wistful voice that echoed clearly in his mind with the same patience and kindness of that time.

 _Everything that exists in this world is interconnected, this is an absolute and incontestable truth... The Lifestream is present in all things... Each one of us is united to one another by this almost imperceptible stream... Because the Lifestream is inside us..._

Vincent opened his eyes; this far-off lesson drew his thoughts in surprise.

 _As Chaos you have command over any corrupted energy that acts on the planet, and as a Cetra you also have the ancestral ability of our people to purify these energies..._

His widened crimson eyes stared at Grimoire's face.

 _Search now within yourself for this second nature..._

The younger man put both hands on his father's chest.

People's actions and attitudes could modify the density of the Lifestream energies, keeping them pure or corrupting them, but the Lifestream wasn't only made of manifestations of feelings, but it was also part of the physical matter itself to everything that exists in the universe. It shaped the sky, the sun, the wind, the water, the earth, the people and what is inside them, like blood, cells and all kinds of elements.

It also could give shape to a virus.

Vincent closed his eyes and feeling a flame of hope grow within him, he searched for the source of power from his hidden nature. From his hands on the scientist's chest began to emanate a soft translucent white light, and the Turk, as in that lesson, felt himself plunge into the energies of the Lifestream that gave shape to his father's physical body; he searched for what seemed a long time, looking for every spark of that energy and finding the dark, corrupted fluids that belonged to that disease at various points, and when he had finally found everything, Vincent opened his eyes, yellow as gold, and with the strength of his will he invoked them.

Raising one hand higher above the scientist's chest, under his command the energies of the corrupted Lifestream began to appear; the black fluids accumulated in a dense sphere in his hand, while the other, still enveloped by soft white light, touched the sphere, his fingers caressing the energy that slowly transformed into greenish, pure chains and falling like a serene cascade over the sleeping man, returning to his body and to its right place in the body's mass composition.

He performed the process slowly, gradually so that Grimoire wouldn't drastically feel the effect of the withdrawal and replacement of the Lifestream on his body, and it was only after nearly an hour that the last fluid was replaced and any sign of the extraordinary phenomenon that had occurred in that room completely extinguished.

Vincent put both hands on the pillow on both sides of his father's face and took a deep breath; although he already possessed one of the essences of his power, to use that energy for an extended period of time still cost him too much, but he did not care. His crimson eyes watched his father's serene countenance, seeking, hoping that something might have changed, that he had succeeded in completely eliminating the symptoms of the disease. But Grimoire remained motionless, unresponsive, breathing serenely with the heart-monitor screen flashing softly at the side of the bed, immersed in the same deep, constant sleep.

The black-haired man closed his eyes and rested his head on his father's chest, embracing him, trembling, and his tears began to slid across his face, bitter and silent.


	18. Act III - Duty

Greetings! It's good to see you again! It's been a few months since I last posted a chapter for this story and I really apologize for my delay.

The main reason is that one of my personal goals this year is to get approved in a selective process to study for an MSc in Management in one of the universities in my country, and although the process will only begin in August, one of the stages to get a full scholarship requires a good grade from a difficult test that happened last week, and at the beginning of the year, after completing Act II, I realized that if I don't stopped completely everything I was doing to only study and focus entirely on this test I won't achieve a good result to show in the selection process for this scholarship _._ Right now I'm still waiting for the result to come out, but I confess that it was difficult to spend half the year without writing a single line of my stories, I really like to write and several times I felt my fingers itching to pick up a notebook and put all this storm of ideas and scenes that came in my head on the paper, and because of this reason I decided to not enter on in the last months.

But coming back to the story, I now begin to introduce Act III, which, as I told you, is one of the parts that I was very anxious to write, and I plan to post the chapters regularly again. By the end of the year I will definitely finish posting the whole third part of this story to start 2020 with the first chapters of Act IV.

Without further ado, I hope you like it!

Sincerely,

Lyon Heitor ~ Altheryon

* * *

 **The Price of Freedom**

 _"So... We meet again... Lucrecia."_

Vincent Valentine - FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus

†

 **Duty**

 _Three Months Later_

As the alarm clock rang, Lucrecia reached out an arm, turned off the dispositive and tuned back into a comfortable position under the soft covers, exhausted from the activities of the week; she and the lab assistants had been working non-stop to ensure that preparations for the next step of the Jenova project were on schedule, and the last wish she had at that very moment was to get out of bed at that indecent hour.

Why did Professor Hojo insist that everyone introduced themselves so early in the laboratory anyway?

Muttering to herself, the woman was beginning to snore softly as a shadow of thought crept through her subconscious mind and the scientist abruptly opened her eyes.

"The Turk! Shit!"

Throwing the covers aside Lucrecia rose in a hurried leap; she had completely forgotten that the new bodyguard would arrive in a few minutes and that she had been charged to introduce him in his new obligations at the manor. As she quickly dressed a purple blouse and skirt in the same color, but in darker tone, that she had separated the night before, Lucrecia peered at the clock and cursed softly; if she had stayed in bed a little longer she would be delayed beyond solution.

"Why five more minutes always becomes thirty, forty minutes later?"

Deftly the scientist combed her long hair, fastened the brown strands in a high ponytail and donned her white lab coat, leaving the room at the record speed of fifteen minutes after rising from bed.

As she reached the entrance hall, as soon as she had finished descending the last step of the staircase, at the appointed time the front door of the manor opened and the woman stopped completely, her face struck by great and pleasurable surprise.

The man deposited the luggage on the ground and stood erect to greet her; his black uniform was neatly aligned and his face was the first familiar sight outside the labs she'd found there after arriving at Nibelheim. He looked better than the last time she'd seen him in the hospital; his countenance more sober and less bitter.

"Vincent Valentine reporting for duty, ma'am. I have been assigned your protection."He formally introduced himself, as was to be expected from an occasion summoned for work reasons, but the joy that seized her spirit and the fact that they were alone in the hall due to early hour, the woman smiled spontaneous and embraced her friend in a openly gesture of receptivity, throwing down the drain the protocol words she had been prepared to say.

"Vincent, you're here!" Lucrecia stepped back and watched his face with radiant brown eyes. "We talked last week on the phone, why didn't you tell me it was you who would come?"

"Not allowed to share military information in unofficial conversations." The Turk smiled slightly and the woman punched his arm lightly.

Vincent looked up; his crimson eyes peered at the stone walls and wooden columns that supported the entrance hall of the old manor and found that nothing had changed since he, his father and Lucrecia had been there to use the laboratory, and as expected, nothing had changed as well compared to the manor of bitter and gloomy memories that still existed in the depths of his memories. The ample space had the dark floor covered by a broad golden carpet rich in details, and ahead, illuminated by the fixed fixtures on the walls, the oval wooden staircase gave free access to the upper floor of the building. Several sounds of voices and working equipment echoed constantly through the once silent corridors, and the black-haired man commented casually.

"Sounds like you are running today." Lucrecia watched him confused, and after a moment she understood.

"Oh, of course, a load of equipment arrived yesterday and now the boys are setting it up in the labs." The scientist explained, and excitedly she helped him with one of luggage and went ahead climbing up the stairs, making a gesture for the other to follow. "Sorry, is that after so much time following the same routine of work you end up getting used to all this movement. I got to the point of turning off the sound around me and now I rarely realize its presence."

"I understand, I may say that I do the same; too long accustomed to the sound of gunshots from the Turks training camp."

At that moment she glanced at him as they entered the upper hallway.

"How did you get your assignment here?" And giggling light, she friendly teased, "Did you bribe one of those back office staff just to follow me here?"

Vincent snorted.

"Actually I was recommended to integrate the team by my experience, and also by the need for discretion regarding the delicate project in which you are working."

Lucrezia raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Did they tell you what we're doing?"

"Some things, yes, but specific details are restricted to the high-ranking staff of the Science Department and I didn't have access."

"To tell you the truth in these three months that I have been here we have only made structural preparations and some tests on tissue samples, using the result obtained to form a basis for the next deployment step, which will be possible after the equipment is already installed, but although I'm one of the scientists at the head of this project, even I don't know any of the real plans that Professor Hojo wishes to employ in the next few steps, and I cannot foresee what he wants to do. " At this moment the woman lowered her voice. "He's so secretive that it can be annoying at times, it's very different from when I worked with your father ... when we thought about science it seemed like we were always thinking the same thing."

The Turk remained silent and Lucrecia observed him in empathy.

"How is he?"

"He... doesn't have any reaction, not good, but not bad either." The dark-haired man sighed discreetly. "The decay of his health has stopped, he remains in a coma, but stable. Doctors believe this is a good sign despite the fragile condition in which my father is; it seems that in some unknown way the degenerative symptoms of the disease were partially neutralized ."

"But this is wonderful news!" The woman exclaimed radiant and equally moved, her bright eyes filled with tears. "I always knew there was hope that Grimoire 's condition would improve; heavens are listening to my prayers!"

Vincent smiled slightly and kept his silence once more; no one knew what had really happened that night in the hospital, his visit had gone almost unnoticed by the staff accustomed to his regular presence. Early in the first few days there were no changes in his father's health, but then, slowly, the symptoms of the disease slowly began to subside in a timid and extremely slow improvement that started to become gradual with each passing week . The same hope Lucrecia had so openly manifested, he also kept for himself in his heart, and had never before been so grateful for Guindark's, for knowing who he really was or for the mystic powers he had been blessed; before they had been a curse in his life and now... maybe they could truly change all's fate.

 _'You have in your hands the key to a future in which there is light...'_ The Cetra's words echoed in his mind and more than ever Vincent began to feel the real weight they held upon his life.

"Vincent?" Lucrecia's voice brought him back to the present, and the black-haired man looked at her.

"Forgive-me, I had my thoughts on my father..." And changing the subject, he continued. "You were showing me where my room is."

"Yes, it's right here in the next hall."

Both began to walk again.

"We made an impromptu dining room in one of the rooms here on the second floor because we needed the space downstairs for an extension of the lab or we wouldn't be able to hold all the equipment in the basement, so every morning around 5 am you'll find most assistants here, but I'll admit that you will not be able to sleep then, they speak too loud..."

At that moment they passed through an open hall that previously had been a resting-room and entered the next corridor, and walking through an open door, a scientist suddenly stepped out forward and bumped hard into the Turk's shoulder.

Both men stared at each other and Vincent's crimson eyes hardened as they met Hojo's black, scornful ones.

"What is a Turk doing in my lab?"

Lucrecia immediately stood forward to make the introductions.

"Professor Hojo, remember that Shinra informed last week that they would send us a bodyguard to ensure the success of the project? This is..."

"Ah yes, yes." He interrupted her with a disinterested gesture. "Only yourself to pay such attention to those corporate emails, big crap, spam and junk most of them."

The scientist watched the other man from above; his small black eyes behind glasses filled with disregard. He was slightly bent, wearing a white coat over a thin set of social clothing, hands hidden behind his back in a disinterested and cautious posture, arrogant but calculating, just as the Turk remembered him. Vincent felt his disgust and hatred rise beneath his skin, but he remained impartial and no muscle in his face betrayed him, showing only his apparent indifference.

"You are Valentine's son, aren't you? I remember Gast mentioning that Valentine had a son among the Turks."

"Vincent Valentine, sir." The black-haired man merely said.

"Yes, yes... It's a shame what happened to your father, one of the few scientists who rendered this company lying crippled at the hospital. Is he still alive?"

The Turk took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten to force himself to calm down; Lucrecia saw the exact moment when her friend became tense and put a hand on his arm.

"He's healing." Vincent forced himself to reply, and remembering the desire that Hojo always had for Gast's position in Shinra, and that it would have been Grimoire who would inherit it if the accident that took his life in the past had not occurred, the dark-haired man added coldly. "I am sure that soon my father will be able to resume his position at Gast's side in the Science Department."

"Good." Hojo replied, clearly displeased, and looked at Lucrecia and at her resting arm over the Turk's, the scientist said. "I must remind you that you still have your report to finish, Dr. Crescent, so I hope you will soon end your tour with your new... colleague, and get back to work."

And he turned his gaze back to the Turk.

"Make yourself Acquaintanced soon, Valentine; your duty starts tomorrow."

With that, the scientist jerked away from them, following at heavy stride the length of the corridor muttering to himself 'damn those stupid paper mice, sending those useless lapdogs to mess up my labs' in a tone clearly audible to both friends despite de growing distance.

When Lucrecia turned to look back at her friend, she froze; though Vincent only stared coldly at the other man's back, there was something different in the deep of his crimson eyes, a shadow that made her shudder for no apparent reason.

She had never seen him like that before, with that look in his eyes.

Slowly she pulled him by the arm and her voice manifested itself shyly in the hall.

"Hey, Vincent ... Please, don't worry about it... The professor hasn't been in a good mood these past few days. Please… just ignore it."

The man didn't answer, but walked again in silence down the corridor keeping his arm entwined with the scientist's, but as they approached his room, Lucrecia felt his arm slowly relax over her touch.

...

Later Lucrecia returned to Vincent's room and found him standing near the window, watching the little town of Nibelheim slowly changing color as the golden shades of sunset danced over the modest buildings. The scientist stepped into the place, stripped off her white coat, set it on a nearby chair and stood beside her friend.

"Have you been to Nibelheim before on any of your missions?" She inquired with subtle curiosity. "When we were here with your father, our stay was so quick we didn't have time to visit the town."

The Turk inclined his head thoughtfully and the seriousness that had settled his countenance all day diminished slightly.

"No... I've been to nearby regions, but not in Nibelheim itself."

Vincent then stared at a distant house, which, with the approach of the night, had its lights newly lit, visible through the small windows. In his memories he saw again a young man with blond spiky hair dressed in SOLDIER clothes standing next to a beautiful young woman with long, flowing black hair, they both looked one last time at that same house with a faraway gaze, knowing that in the past it had been completely consumed by the fire as well as the whole town.

"I have friends who were born here... I haven't seen them for a long time."

"It's a chance to visit them." Lucrecia said with good humor, but the man shook his head.

"No... I'm sure they're not in town right now." He replied softly, and then watched the scientist. "Is your work over for today?"

"Yes, with some luck we did finish all the equipment's installation." The woman then indicated a place ahead. "There is not much to see here, the town is small, but right there near the inn it has a very good restaurant that has a really divine home-made food."

The Turk smiled faintly.

"Are you asking me out, Doctor?"

"I told you to not call me that." She giggled. "Why not? I'm sure tomorrow with the beginning of your work and the next step of the project starting we will have little time to breathe. Unless you have some other commitment for today or are busy with something?"

Vincent glanced at his unopened suitcases on the bed still waiting to be kept and snorted.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Lucrecia said cheerfully. "Believe me, after a few days in this manor whenever you have an opportunity to go out for lunch or dinner you will leave, the food is not bad at all, but those assistants are really noisy."

"If you insist." The Turk agreed.

Lucrecia took a few minutes for herself to comb her hair in front of the mirror and Vincent watched her all the time in silence, thinking about what happened at that same day in the previous reality and about how much the brown-haired woman seemed to hold a lighter, radiant spirit. It had been a completely different reunion…

"At least now you're smiling again..." He whispered softly and the woman stared at him through the mirror and raised an eyebrow.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." He shrugged and looked back at the window.

"Vincent..." Lucrecia called him again and he glanced back at her; the scientist smiled. "I'm glad you're here."


	19. Act III - Haven

**The Price of Freedom**

 _"Vincent... Do you remember our place? Under that tree?_

 _The warm breeze on our skin...I know that it no longer exists..."_

Dr. Lucrecia Crescent - FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus

†

 **Haven**

Under the equipment's constant whistle, Lucrecia frowned at the new information displayed on her computer screen. Intrigued, she caught a glimpse of the one-meter long test tube lying flat on the table near where the scientist was, and she watched the green liquid spreading inside begin to seep into the sample of human tissue that had been brought from the Science Department refrigerators.

Her attention was so focused on the procedure that she jumped when a shadow suddenly reflected through the glass. The brown-haired woman looked up and saw Vincent standing on the opposite side of the room, watching the lab assistants with somber countenance; no movement escaped the Turk's attention.

The scientist observed again the progress of her experiment with a frown, although it was no longer due to the results obtained with the sample. Her thoughts rambled for a moment to her friend and how he seemed to be a completely different person than the one she knew while he was on shift. It had been two weeks since Vincent had arrived and there was something about the mansion that made him uneasy and even more introspective; it seemed to get worse when Hojo was usually present on the room, and again she saw that strange coldness in the Turk's crimson eyes as he watched her colleague. The others didn't notice because they barely knew him, but after years of living with him and his father the changes were crystal clear and there was no way she wouldn't notice. Lucrecia wondered what was going on between the two men; had Hojo done something to him or Grimoire? The dark-haired scientist had no reaction at all or clearly didn't care, not that he cared about anything outside the laboratory anyway.

The tissue in the tube in contact with the greenish liquid had become whitish and the structure of its composition had clearly changed, appearing more robust, easily resisting the harmful electromagnetic waves employed in order to destroy part of the sample. They were achieving the desired state with the Jenova cells, regenerating dead tissue to a balanced point where it could be reused, and Lucrecia wondered if the properties of Jenova cells could help accelerate Grimoire's recovery and wake him from his comatose state.

Hojo stopped beside her.

"It looks like you've finally reached the break-even point, Dr. Crescent." The scientist commented nonchalantly and glanced at her. "We will proceed to the beginning of the next stage immediately, we will not waste time."

The woman stood from her chair.

"But, Professor ... We are scheduled to start the experiments only next week, and we still have to wait for the guinea pigs to arrive from Midgar."

"And can science wait for the slowness of those idiots?" Hojo interposed, placing both hands on his back, looking down at her from behind his round glasses. "If the Science Department always waited for the goodwill of the other sectors of Shinra, there would be no science today as we know; just kids still playing with water and oil and thinking they had made a breakthrough discovery after realizing that it doesn't mix without auxiliary chemicals."

Disgust filled the older scientist's face and he continued without looking at her.

"We will proceed immediately; prepare 5 doses of the compound solution to be applied every 8 hours; Allen will be our test sample."

"In a _human_?!" She inquired astonished. "We just got the result of what Jenova cells are capable of doing in a _dead_ tissue, it's still risky to apply directly to someone; we didn't find the compatibility pattern and..."

"This pattern can only be found as long as it is applied directly to the target objective of this research, Dr. Crescent." Hojo cut her off sharply. "The company demands brief results and as soon as the fusion of mako energy with Jenova cells stabilizes we will also start the SOLDIER project."

"We shouldn't rush the process, Professor Hojo." Lucrecia disagreed immediately. "Forcing an early union may destroy research material unnecessarily. As much as the company wants brief results, if it goes wrong it will be a big waste of money and Jenova is a unique and irreplaceable resource."

The scientist's black eyes glared the woman down.

"I did not accept Gast's indication for you to participate in this project to hear you constantly contest all its steps, Dr. Crescent," Hojo replied dryly. "I personally reviewed the schedule and made the changes I deemed necessary considering calculable and acceptable risks; _all_ will follow suit or be replaced in the program. Have I made myself clear?"

Lucrecia's eyes widened, stunned, and it took exactly five seconds for her to be able to draw a reaction.

"Y-yes sir, but Allen..."

"Allen's acceptance to participate in the experiment is not your concern, Dr. Crescent; focus on preparing the doses and only that."

Hojo turned his back on the woman and without waiting for a reply he turned away, and Lucrecia realized that Vincent had been watching them.

With the loud noise of the equipment the woman was sure they couldn't have been heard from across the room, but Vincent was still looking straight at them and Lucrecia had the strange feeling that somehow he _knew_ what they were about to do.

...

Patrolling the halls on the manor's second floor, the last round before his shift ended, Vincent came across Hojo coming in the opposite direction. The scientist stopped near his office and watched the Turk; the pale night light seeped into the glass window and bathed the man's circumspect countenance.

"Valentine."

"Professor." He nodded in acknowledgment and, unwilling to prolong the conversation, immediately took his leave. "Have a good night, sir."

Vincent turned to go back the passage he had come from, but the scientist stopped him.

"Wait."

Internally uncomfortable, the Turk raised his face and his crimson eyes looked back at the other man with indifference. Hojo opened his office's door and stood in the hallway.

"Come in."

Vincent's eyes peered subtly at the unexpected invitation; this was something that hadn't happened the last time, and the Turk watched the open door and the impartial countenance in the scientist's face, who was awaiting his reaction. Although said simply, he could recognize the tone of order under the words and knew he couldn't refuse to enter without showing clear insubordination. What did the other really intend?

He moved soberly without diverging his eyes from Hojo, and pausing briefly in front of the other man, Vincent then stepped inside and stood in the center of the room, and after also entering the scientist closed the door behind them.

The Turk scanned the office with a critical, quick look; it was a large room, with several bookcases, a desk with two computers at disposition, some dressers and cabinets, lit with a small chandelier of white light, all perfectly clean and organized, and nothing dangerous was apparent. The next instant his attention was back on the other man, and he saw him walk towards one of the closets.

"Is this your first time working for the Science Department on a field mission?" Hojo asked him suddenly.

"Yes sir." Vincent answered without hesitation.

"You've been here for two weeks and have been doing a decent job. Keep following the team without touching anything and asking no questions and that's enough. Everything you need to know will be told to you when it's needed." The older man spoke without looking at him and opened the cabinet, removing a bottle of wine and two glasses. Glancing at the other, he inquired. "Do you drink wine?"

Vincent frowned.

"Not while I'm on shift, sir."

Hojo watched the clock.

"Your shift ended 2 minutes ago, Valentine." The scientist opened the bottle and filled both goblets with the dark liquid. "I worked with your father on some projects in the Science Department; as I said before he is a competent scientist."

Though he had his apparent attention on his present assignment, Vincent saw the ever watchful, calculating eyes sliding towards him, watching him, his posture, his responses; the Turk clearly felt himself being scrutinized by the scientist and held back the sarcastic smile that insisted on rising from his own lips at that moment. Hojo was trying to see how much he knew, how dangerous he could be to the progress of his current project, and bitterly Vincent wondered how much his ignorance had been reflected on his own face countless times in the past.

"He mentioned you a few times." He answered neutrally.

"Why didn't you pursue a career in science like your father?"

"I have no vocation for science." Vincent said casually, with an air of mock ingenuity.

Hojo watched him with annoyance.

"You must believe science is a waste of time, like most of your military colleagues."

"I don't doubt how important science is in the world today, Professor Hojo." The younger man added carefully. "My father is a scientist and I have always admired his work."

Hojo approached him and handed him one of glasses, Vincent accepted it, but unlike the other he did not take a drink immediately; he looked at the wine and felt that the Lifestream fluids that formed the dark liquid showed it was clean, and inwardly Vincent reveled in his own apprehensiveness; if Hojo wanted to try to kill him, it certainly wouldn't be by poison.

The scientist went on.

"And did your father tell you about any of the projects he worked in the Science Department?"

"Not much, for most of it was secret information."

The Turk saw at that moment the veiled satisfaction in the other's countenance; obviously pleased that his ignorant new bodyguard had no ability to interfere with his plans.

"I'm glad you're already familiar with our work systems; I shouldn't expect less from a Turk." Hojo answered him, and the irony in the sentence didn't go unnoticed to the younger man.

Vincent grew tired of the other's game and feeling the irritation begin to erupt inside him, he inquired soberly.

"Is there anything you need from me now, sir? Otherwise, I wish to ask to retire for today."

"No, Valentine. You may leave."

Vincent raised his goblet in greeting, drank the wine in one gulp as he watched scientist's face, set the empty glass on a nearby dresser and walked away towards the exit.

"Valentine." Hojo called him one last time, and Vincent stopped at the door and glanced back at him.

"Sir?"

"I noticed your attention on the team's work earlier today, and you'll see a lot of things here in this manor during your shifts." The scientist's black eyes peered him from behind his round glasses. "Everything that happens here, stays here, do you understand me?"

The threat was as clear to him as crystalline water.

"Perfectly, sir." The Turk nodded merely, and the other man finally turned his back on him and ended the conversation.

"You are dismissed."

As he left the room, Vincent hold himself in the last second to not slam the door behind him.

...

With his eyes closed, Vincent took a deep breath and let the pure energies of the Lifestream soften the tension in his body, accumulated for weeks since he had arrived in the town. With both hands resting on the ground, fingers lightly buried in the earth, he felt them encircle him like a steady confortable stream. Although there was a great deal of corrupted fluid upon Shinra's Manor, located not far from where he was, there was an abundance of pure energies in the nature present in the fields, mountains, plants, and even on most of the simple people who lived in the humble village, and the black-haired man allowed his subconscious to wander in those currents, finding in them a state of peace that he no longer could find at the present moment of his life.

In the past, while living in the Cetra city, he had often performed meditations that, guided by Guildark, helped him to understand much about himself, his power and the universe; In the following years this exercise had become less frequent, though not entirely erased from his life, for he considered it an important lesson that shouldn't be abandoned by the comforts of daily routine and was also a way of feeling his essence connected to the very stream of life. In Shinra Manor, however, the atmosphere was so heavy and charged with dark energies that it sometimes seemed difficult to breathe, and meditation became a daily exercise of relaxation; Vincent believed that the darkness in the labs really bothered his Cetra side while at the same time pleased immensely his side that was connected with the prophecy.

If he said that the corrupted energies of the Lifestream that infected the manor hadn't delight him deep down he would be lying to himself, and that was something that often disturbed him. The internal conflict provoked by these two natures within him made the man a little dizzy; Chaos was a being born from the corrupted fluids of the Lifestream, and he was Chaos; and constantly as he walked the manor's halls, more than ever before in this new reality Vincent felt them present, calling to him, bowing to him and asking for him to control them with his power, and the memory made the Turk shudder, because intimately he knew that that part of himself _wanted_ _so badly_ to give in to that desire, especially after the conversation he had previously that night.

At that very moment the pure energies of the Lifestream surrounded him in a different way, wrapping him in a gentle embrace, and Vincent recognized the scent of flowers of Ifalna's essence with him; he felt the question rising between them, once again the woman asked him worriedly if he was all right and what was going on, because she had felt the constant changes taking place in the currents of the Lifestream that surrounded him, and like the other times the man departed without giving an clear answer, opening his eyes and completely breaking the connection.

Vincent looked up and his eyes found beyond the flowered garden the manor, which stood like a dark monument as a grotesque contrast with its beautiful surroundings; not even the first rays of sunlight on the horizon seemed to be able to soften the gloomy appearance of the old building. A shade darker than the tree he was leaning against obscured his silhouette and the Turk saw Lucrecia appear beside him.

"You really have started to adopt some pretty weird habits after you arrived here." The woman commented, watching him with an arched eyebrow. "If you keep sleeping out here you'll catch a cold."

The man shrugged.

"My bed is hard like stone; I can't sleep well in the manor."

"I can't tell the difference between a hard bed and the floor out here, Vincent." The woman laughed softly.

Vincent gave a slight smile.

"Out here your colleagues aren't making noise in the next room."

"I have to agree with you on that." The scientist nodded.

Watching her then, seeing her nervously rub her hands together, the man inquired.

"It's not even 6 o'clock yet... What are you doing here, Lucrecia?"

The woman with long brown hair sighed discreetly; sensing her spirit uneasy at the unexpected new changes on the experiments, she hadn't been able to rest very well that night and had been eager to get away from the labs to try to think straight.

"I... I came for a walk; it's been 3 days since I left the manor and I want to breathe outside air."

Even though she wasn't entirely honest in her answer, Vincent understood her.

"Walking like this alone in these early hours is not very safe, don't you think?" He inquired softly.

Lucrecia watched him exasperate, putting both hands on her waist.

"I think I'm safer outside considering my bodyguard is here and not inside the mansion."

The Turk leaned back against the tree, nodding, but with a sober countenance he inquired.

"And how is your job? Your colleague hasn't really taken it easy on you and the rest of the team, as far as I can tell."

The woman swallowed hard, her mind went back to Allen and the starting of the procedure, and she closed her eyes, immediately pushing out the thought from her head.

"Everything is going as expected... I believe it is a good sign of positive results in the coming days." She rambled, and her mind wasn't entirely on her words.

The wind blew hard across the field, streaking through the grass among the flowers and smashed into the tree, breaking into a faint, cold breeze that touched their bodies, making the woman shudder; Lucrecia didn't know if it was due to wearing only a light shirt or because of her fears about the new procedures on the labs. The woman embraced herself and Vincent sighed and stood up, took off his suit and covered her shoulders with the black garment.

"Since you're here with me, we could have breakfast before returning to the mansion; we have another half hour before my shift begins." His voice brought her back to the present, and she watched him confused.

"But it's all closed in the town at this hour."

The Turk indicated a small picnic basket resting by the tree beside a towel, and the scientist smiled brightly.

"It's funny… its look like as if you knew I would come here today." She commented softly, and for a few minutes the shadows that hung over her heart had left her.

"Yes... that flower told me" He answered and Lucrecia laughed, punching his shoulder playfully.

"You silly."

The man shrugged; the breeze blew again and ruffled the woman's long, flowing hair, but to her it no longer seemed so cold.


End file.
